Bottom Layer (peanut butter)

• 1/3 cup pb

• 2 T coconut oil, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 2 T honey

• sea salt

Top Layer (chocolate)

• 1/3 cup pb

• 2.5 T coconut oil, melted

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 3 T unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 T honey

Directions

1. Mix ingredients for bottom layer and put about one tablespoon of mixture into each spot in a mini muffin tin

2. Mix ingredients for top layer and put about one tablespoon in each muffin tin space, on top of the peanut butter layer.

3. Place tin in freezer until solid. Store in closed container in freezer. Yum!

*my friend gave me this recipe and I don’t know where she found it.

Honey nut brittle

We love this simple recipe that only uses honey and butter… And nuts of course.  For variety try different types of nuts where at in various other things like cocoa powder or different extract/flavorings, extracts, or coconut, etc.

* 1 cup honey
* 4 T butter
* 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
* 1 1/2 c chopped nuts (dry roasted peanuts are great)

--
1. If nuts aren't roasted, throw them on a cookie sheet in the oven at 350° for about 10 minutes.
2. Put honey in a heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to boil. Keep boiling on medium low heat until the temperature is 285--soft crack stage, almost to hard crack stage.
3. Stir in butter and vanilla and cook one more minute.
4. Then add nuts, and pour contents from saucepan on to a parchment lined cookie sheet.
5. Place cookie sheet and freezer to harden. Break up and store wrapped in parchment paper so the pieces don't stick together too much.


Original recipe from www.nerdyhousewife.com

Things to make using medjool dates

I try to use natural sweeteners in all my recipes and cooking nowadays. And I've found that I normally can get away with fruits as sweeteners. For my muffins I'll just add lots of raisins or dates. Dates blended up work wonders. They are super sweet and sometimes we just eat one or two after dinner as our dessert (or a prune or something). The key for including them in things is generally to take out the pit, soften/soak in water, and blend up or chop finely.

Here are a few things I put dates in...
Muffins
Pancake batter
Power balls
Cranberry sauce
Sweet potato topping with pecans
But/date pie crust
Almond milk or smoothie/shake
Oatmeal

Caramel Popcorn

Here is a basic caramel popcorn recipe. Great for the holidays.

• 1 cup unpopped popcorn kernels
• 1/2 cup butter or coconut oil
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup sucanat
• Pinch sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla

---

1. Pop the popcorn

2. Melt the butter, sweeteners an salt together. Bring to a simmer and cook gently about five minutes.

3. Remove from heat and stir in soda and vanilla (it will foam a bit).

4. Quickly use a wooden spoon to stir hot mixture into popcorn. (A big brown paper bag works best and is easiest cleanup since the caramel will harden really fast. So work quickly!)

The variation for this are endless. I'd like can't cane and a chocolate/coconut oil drizzle variation.

Peppermint Almond Joy bites

 It's the Christmas season and we are looking for more healthy dessert recipes. I wanted some type of a coconut ball or something. I found this recipe, which isn't  exactly what I wanted, but it tastes great. It reminds me of our Powerball's, but the ingredients make it more Christmasy.  Some people call these almond Joy bites. But I've taken that and added peppermint flavor to make it great for this season.

• 2 cups Medjool dates, pits removed
• 2 cups almonds
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp. coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp. almond extract (optional)
•  A few drops of peppermint oil ( or a candycane)

 Just throw everything into your food processor and blend it up for about three minutes. That's it. 

* original recipe is from www.givemesomeoven.com 

• 
  

Homemade Marshmallows

1 c water
1 c honey
4 T gelatin (grass-fed is best)

1. Boil water in pan.
2. Pour 1/2 c water into gelatin powder in a separate bowl.
3. Put honey into the pan with remaining 1/2 c water and bring to boil. Boil until softball stage (240 degrees...about 10 minutes).
4. Slowly pour hot mixture into gelatin mixture (which will be very gelatinous by now) while beating on low until soft peaks form (about 8 minutes).
5. Pour out onto greased tray and spread about 1 inch thick.
6. Let sit for at least 4 hours. Then cut in cubes and place in sealed container. Do not freeze!

-----
Other Ideas:

• Infuse the water with 1 T. marshmallow root for healthier option (make a tea of it, then strain)
• use juice
• add orange zest, mint essential oil, or other extracts/flavorings
• add cocoa powder into hot mix
• roll in crushed candy canes
• add probiotic powder at the end, while mixing to give nutritional boost
• put in little bags for Christmas gifts ("snowman poop"???) :)

original idea from wellnessmama

Scones

2 c. flour (whole grain)
1/4 c.  sweetener (if liquid, mix with wet ingredients)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. sea salt
2 T butter
1/2 c. dried cranberries
1/4 c. walnuts, chopped
1 c. buttermilk (or milk with 1t. lemon juice, or yogurt/water)

---

1. Mix dry ingredients together; cut in butter until crumbly.

2. Stir in cranberries and walnuts.

3. Carefully stir in buttermilk to form a ball.  Knead lightly a few times until sticky--don't overknead)

4. Divide dough in half.  On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll each portion into an 8” round, about 1/2” thick.  Cut each round into 8 triangles.  Place the scones on the baking sheet.  Brush the tops with buttermilk.  Sprinkle with a pinch of brown sugar, if desired.  Bake for 14 – 18 minutes.  Serve warm. 

**We like to make this when we drink our infusions (herbal tea). It's like a cookie biscuit.

* original recipe: http://wholegrainscouncil.org/recipes/breads/kamut-cranberry-walnut-scones

Coconut Jello

Want a healthier version of jello? I think mom made this up, because he fascination with gelatin. If you can, get organic/grass-fed gelatin. But if not...enjoy this recipe either way!

This is my Earth Day Jello: coconut milk middle layer with mixed berry and lime on bottom and top.

1 c coconut milk
1 packet gelatin, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water
2 drops liquid stevia (optional...but I don't use it when I layer with other sweet jellos)

Mix all and set in fridge for 4 hours. :)

Dairy-Free Whipped "Cream"

Ever had coconut milk? Well, you can make whip cream out of it.
Just store that in your fridge overnight and then the next day open the can from the bottom and drain out the liquid. With the leftover cream you can just blend it and voila...you have a dairy-free Whip cream alternative. But it needs to stay cold and doesn't hold it's form the same way as the typically whip cream, so you just have to get use to the differences. Hopefully you like the coconut flavor!

You can add cocoa powder for more of a chocolate topping. :)

Charise's FAVORITE Fruit Salad

3 c Honeydew melon, small chunks
1 c Marion berries (frozen- sold at Costco)
1 c Strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1/2 c Apples, peeled and diced
1/2 c Blueberries
1/2 c Grapes
1 c Plain Yogurt or Kefir

Sauce:  1 orange- juiced,  1/2 cup rapadura (organic whole cane sugar), and 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract. 

I blend the freshly juiced orange and the rapadura (brown sugar) together over med. heat until the sugar dissolves completely--or just use maple syrup as a substitute.  I then add the vanilla after taking it off the heat.  Cool completely if the fruit is all thawed out.  If you still have frozen fruit, I pour the warm sauce over it and stir the fruit and sauce all together.  Right before serving, add 1 cup of a good rich plain yogurt or Kefir and stir it all together.  DELICIOUS and healthy fruit salad...here I come!

Homemade Sorbets/Herbal Ices

There are two basic methods to extract the herbal flavors. One uses a blender and the other a saucepan. Aside from an ice cream maker, which is  not required for granitas, a fine-meshed strainer is the only special piece of  equipment you’ll need (to guarantee a smoother texture).

1. BLENDER METHOD
Measure the sugar,  water and lemon juice into the blender container, add a generous quantity of  herb leaves, and blend for a minute or so until smooth. Pour the liquid through  the fine strainer and immediately freeze it in an ice cream maker. Although you  can use ordinary granulated sugar, fine sugar (also known as baker’s sugar) is a  better choice because it will dissolve faster in the syrup without heat. This  method works best with lemon verbena, lemon geranium, tarragon and mint. It also  works well with basil, but you’ll get the best color if you blanch the basil  leaves first (a quick dip in boiling water followed by a cold-water  bath).

2. INFUSION METHOD
As easy as brewingherbal tea. Bring sugar and water to a boil in a  saucepan, toss in a bundle of herb sprigs (stems and all), cover the pan and  take it off the heat. Let the herbs steep for 15 minutes or so and then strain.  The syrup will carry the flavor and fragrance of the herb while the green  vegetal flavor of the leaf, along with the stems, will stay behind. Next, add  citrus juice and freeze. This is the more versatile method because it works with  nearly any herb. The infused syrups also can be mixed with fruit purees like  berry, melon or peach, creating endless combinations of herb and fruit  sorbets.

If you make a sorbet with nothing but sugar, water and an herb, it will taste cloying and flat; but add the correct amount of lemon juice and the flavor will be bright and refreshing. Fruit purees each have their own level of sweet and tart, so the proportion of sugar syrup  may vary with each particular fruit.

Too much sugar will  make a sorbet that is too soft; too little sugar will make a sorbet that is too icy. You’ll need to rely on your taste buds or a recipe.

Standard Formula
1 cup  of sugar
3 ¼ cups water
¼ cup lemon/lime juice

----------------
Although there is no firmly defined difference between a sherbet and a sorbet,  sherbet often is made with dairy or egg whites. Here are two recipes to try....

Lemon-Verbena Yogurt Sherbet
• 2 cups lemon verbena leaves, lightly packed 2 cups whole-milk  yogurt
• 1½ cups fine sugar 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1½  cups water
1. Puree lemon verbena, sugar and water in blender on high speed.
2.  Whisk together yogurt and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
3. Strain lemon  verbena syrup through a fine sieve into yogurt; whisk until smooth. Freeze  immediately in ice cream maker until slushy-firm. Scoop into storage container  and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Basil-Lime Sorbet
• 3¼ cups water
• 2 cups basil leaves, gently packed
• 1 cup fine  sugar
• ¼ cup fresh lime juice
1. Bring water to a boil in small saucepan. Add basil leaves; cook 10  seconds. Drain and plunge basil into cold water. Drain again.
2. Puree  sugar, water, lime juice and blanched basil leaves in blender on high speed for  about 1 minute, or until you have a smooth, bright-green liquid. Pour through  fine-meshed strainer.
3. Freeze immediately in an ice cream maker until  slushy-firm. Scoop into a storage container and freeze until firm enough to  scoop.
Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/cooking/5-easy-delicious-sorbet-recipes.aspx?page=2#ixzz1U4S6X2sB

Renaissance Pears

both sweet and savory --won a Recipe contest

6 bosc pears
3 pieces bacon, cooked and crumbled
6 slices of cheddar cheese
1/3 c. walnuts, chopped
1/2 c. + 1-2 T. rapadura sugar (Portuguese name for dried sugarcane juice)
1/4 c. water
dash cinnamon


Make candied walnuts:
Place 2 T sugar in a mini-pan on medium heat and melt. Add walnut pieces and coat. Quickly take out and seperate pieces to harden on silcon mat.

Cut pears in half, long-wise and cut out the core and stem.
In a larger pan, combine 1/2 c. sugar with 1/4 c. water and place in pears cut-side up.
Cover pan and simmer pears on medium-low heat for 7 to 10 minutes--until pears are cooked through.
Remove cooked pears from pan and place on dish. Put the slice of cheese, bacon crumbles and candied walnuts on each pear.
Meanwhile, increase heat to medium and bring remaining sugar water in large pan to a boil until sugar turns from light color to dark and just starts to thicken a little (about 5-7 minutes). Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat immediately and drizzle over pears; sugar will harden fast. Add tiny dash of cinnamon on top.
You're done! Eat and savour every bite.

Brownie Pudding Cake (soaked)

I made this for my son's birthday cake. His first. Excellent with strawberries.

1 c brown rice flour (grind your own if you have a good grinder)
1/2 c thin coconut milk
2 T cocoa powder
1/2 T raw apple cider vinegar (or kefir)
1 T chia or flax seeds
3-4 T water
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1 t. vanilla extract
1/4 t. salt
2 T melted coconut oil or butter
½ c sweetener of choice
1 1/2 c boiling water
1/3 c cocoa powder
dash of salt
½ c sweetener of choice

1-Mix together the flour , cocoa powder and coconut milk and apple cider vinegar, if using. Leave covered in a warm place for 12-24 hours.

2-When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the chia seeds in the water and let sit for 15-20 minutes, until thickened. Put the water on to boil. Then mix the baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt, oil or butter and sweetener, and the chia seed mixture in with the soaked flour mixture.

3-In another, heat safe bowl, combine the boiling water, cocoa powder, dash of salt and honey. Mix until combined.

4- Scrap the batter into the pan 8 x 8 x2 or pie dish. Then pour the boiling water mixture over it.

5-Baking for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when poked into the cake topping. Then remove from the oven. Let rest at least ten minutes and up to 45 minutes before serving. The longer it sits the thicker the sauce will become.  My husband actually likes this best cold. But most enjoy it warm with some ice cream on top.

*from nourishinggourmet.com

Chocolate Macaroons

4 oz bittersweet chocolate
3 egg whites
1/4 c cocoa powder
3/4 c sucanut
1/4 t salt
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c unsweetened shredded coconut

Melt chocolate. Mix all the rest of the ingredients together then add to the chocolate. Bake at 325 degrees on lightly greased cookie sheets for about 15 minutes and then cool on pan for another 10 minutes.

*from Ann Schraedel

Pecan Cookies

3 c quick oats
1/2 c
5 grain flour
1/2 c finely ground flaxseed
1 c unsweetened cocconut (shredded or flaked)
1 c pecans (chopped)
1 1/4 c whole organic cane sugar
1/3 c honey
1 c butter

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Combine oats, flour, flaxseed, coconut and nuts in a large bowl.
Melt butter, sugar and honey in saucepan over low heat.
Add melted butter mixture to dry ingredients.
Drop into balls and place on greased cookie sheet.
Bake 9-12 minutes, until browned and chewy.
Roll them into balls after they are somewhat cooled.

Notes: Store in air tight container. I like to wrap each ball in plastic wrap and put them in a bag in the freezer to grab quickly and put in kids' lunch.

*from Charise

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 1/4 c whole organic cane sugar
1/2 c butter, softened
1 can pumpkin (2 cups fresh or canned)
2 3/4 c flour
3 t baking powder
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t nutmeg
1/4 t ginger
1 c raisins (I like the organic, smaller raisins)
1 c pecans, chopped

Mix together in order. Bake at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes on a greased cookie sheet.

*from Charise

Chocolate Torte Wedges

8 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 c whole organic cane sugar
3/4 c butter, melted
2/3 c almond meal (crushed almonds)
3 T whole grain flour
5 eggs, seperated
1/4 c milk
1 T vanilla
1 t baking powder

Melt chocolate, add sugar until blended. Stir in melted butter and vanilla. Remove from heat and stir in almond meal and whole grain flour. Add egg yolks 1 at a time stirring well. Add baking powder. Whisk egg whites till peaks form. Fold in and spread in a greased 13 x 9 inch pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Let cool for 45 mintues. Cut them into thin wedges and dip them in melted chocolate and place on wax paper or greased foil sheets. Cool in fridge.

*from Megan Walburger

Mini Pumpkin Muffins

1 cup whole-grain flour

1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup organic whole cane sugar (brown sugar)

1/4 cup vegetable oil

15 oz pumpkin puree (1 3/4 cup)

2 lg. eggs, slightly beaten

1 cup lowfat granola cereal, crumbled

Chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease mini or regular muffn pans. 

Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. 

Beat sugar and oil in medium mixer bowl until blended.  Add pumpkin and eggs; beat well. 

Gradually stir in flour mixture.  Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. 

Sprinkle each with a bout 1/2 tsp. of crumbled granola and a few chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.  Makes 20 servings, 3 mini muffins each.


*From Charise

Heart-Healthy Choc. Chip Oatmeal Cookies

2 c. walnuts
3 T. oil
1 c. brown sugar
2 t. vanilla
1 1/2 c. oat flour (ground oats)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1/4 t. cinnamon
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. choc. chips

1. Blend walnuts to fine meal; add oil and blend together (nut butter)
2. Boil sugar in a pan with 1/2 c. water
3. Mix sugar and nut butter together
4. In separate bowl mix all dry ingredients
5. Stir wet and dry ingredients together; cool 10 minutes
6. Fold in last two ingredients
7. Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Submitted by Shelley Schneider