The Perfect Pumpkin (Zucchini) Chocolate Chip Bread

My mother-in-law has the most amazing pumpkin chocolate chip bread recipe. It's so great that my mouth waters every time I think about it. I have been wondering how to make it healthier, as it is totally filled with a load of butter and sugar. I even enlisted the help of my friend Caroline over at Chocolate and Carrots who had some great ideas to healthify the recipe. I scoured the internet for recipes that sounded like they would work, as I don't really have the time to do complete recipe overhauls. I was surprised to find a version of this recipe over at Love.Health.Fitness and it was absolutely perfect! My mother-in-law's recipe also had a chocolate glaze on it, but after tasting this version, it actually doesn't need it at all. So delicious, and so healthy!

1.5 cups flour (I used Pamela's brand GF baking mix)
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
big pinches of nutmeg, clove, and ginger
3/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup shredded zucchini (squeeze dried)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 T coconut oil
1 egg
1/2 cup milk (I used flax milk)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix the dry ingredients together, then toss in the zucchini and make sure it is coated evenly. Then mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, pour into a greased loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes at 350 degrees.

Paleo breakfast pudding

I've been on a vegan kick lately, and really enjoyed my new meals. However, my doctor was concerned that although my weight gain is on track for this pregnancy, I tend to gain my weight at the end. I also have a big boy in there apparently, and since I'm going for a much-needed VBAC and I'm a small person, I should focus on the baby gaining the weight necessary for him to be healthy, and not in excess of that. Therefore, I need to slow down and try to cut out all carbs other than fruits and vegetables. I don't have an issue with sugar, since I just put honey in my tea and that's about the extent of my sugar intake. My problem is rice and quinoa pasta. So, paleo it is for the rest of this pregnancy. I'm still keeping it at plant-based and all of my meat and eggs will be organic/grass-fed/free range. I'm not sure why people think paleo is all about meat.... or who came up with that bogus chart with meat on the bottom of the pyramid. You can be Vegan and Paleo if you wanted, it would simply cut out a ton of food groups and wouldn't be incredibly healthy. So anyway, here's to a Paleo rest of my pregnancy!

This is delicious. I actually meant to go a particular store to get coconut yogurt, because it's the only one that carries it. However, I got lazy. As I was making my delicious pineapple smoothie with coconut milk, I saw a recipe on the back of the carton for pudding. I modified it quite a bit, but the end result turned out great! I decided to use this instead of yogurt, and I'm glad I did.

Ingredients:
1/3 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup tapioca starch (next time I'm using coconut flour to make this truly Paleo)
1/4 tsp salt
3 cups coconut milk (you could also use 5x protein almond milk)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup ground flax seeds

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir the sugar, starch and salt together. Add in the milk slowly and whisk constantly until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down to a simmer and continue to whisk until the pudding thickens. Stir in vanilla and flax seeds and cool. Store, then top with berries or fruit of your choice (I chose berries and walnuts) when ready to serve.

muffins to flex for! ~banana quinoa muffins

These muffins are absolutely phenomenal! I got the recipe straight off the back of a Shiloh Farms bag of Quinoa Flakes. Quinoa is packed with protein, so it makes a great protein snack or dessert.

Ingredients:
2 mashed ripe bananas
2 T grapeseed oil
1 egg
1/2 cup almond coconut milk or milk
2/3 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup rice flour
1/2 cup shiloh quinoa flakes
1/3 cup organic cane sugar
1 3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine bananas with wet ingredients, mix well. Mix dry ingredients in another bowl. Combine mixtures until combined but not too much. Spoon batter evenly into approximately 12 muffin liners. Bake for about 16 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

I was at Barnes and Nobles today, where I could not stop staring at the blueberry muffins and I just had to go home and add blueberries to this recipe. Oh man did it do the job!

dream cream: peach semifreddo

A while back, I posted my amazing recipe for peach ice cream. I also promised that I would some day find a way to make a healthy peach ice cream. Well spending a week with Mallory was a great motivator, since her diet excludes dairy. Back at Winthrop we would indulge in delicious ice cream, and since she's turned a new leaf, I had to make something amazing for her :)

I found a recipe for peach semifreddo in my clean eating magazine, and changed the ingredients a tad bit to make it a little closer to Paleo. The result was MM MM delicioso!!!

Ingredients:
1 cup non fat vanilla coconut yogurt
1 egg, separated
1/4 cup agave
3 egg whites
2 medium peaches, peeled and mashed

Line a loaf pan or dish with plastic wrap. In a large bowl, blend the yogurt, egg yolks and agave. In a medium bowl, beat 4 egg whites to stiff peaks. Fold egg whites into yogurt mixture 1/3 at a time and stir until well combined. Add in the peaches and gently stir. Pour into prepared dish and freeze for 2-3 hours or until softly frozen. Flip pan onto a cutting board and slice into desired servings. Serve immediately.

paleo mixed berry cobbler

Back in high school, my group of friends and I would go to Kaminsky's at least two to three times a week for coffee and dessert. Yeah, we were cool.... at least, we thought we were ;) During my last visit to Charleston a couple of my friends and I were reminiscing those old days and how care free we were. I, on the other hand, miss the mixed berry cobbler I would get more than being back in high school which I relate to being more like in prison. But that's beside the point. I love that berry cobbler. Here's a much healthier, paleo version of my old school favorite dessert.

Ingredients:
Handfuls of fresh berries
1 1/2 cups almond meal
1 egg
2 T coconut oil (or grapeseed oil)
1 T cinnamon
honey

Preheat oven to 350. In a small baking dish, pour in all the berries and set aside. In a medium mixing bowl, blend the remaining ingredients, minus the cinnamon and honey. Sprinkle cinnamon and honey atop the berries, then top them with dollops of the dough. Bake for 30 minutes and serve.

paleo omg-amazing carrot cupcakes

SURPRISE! Yes, these are totally paleo, totally cupcakes, and totally amazingly delicious. I'm not going to lie, this is the most I've ever experimented when it comes to baking. I can cook, but baking is really the one thing I do well. I used to make carrot cake all the time back when I could eat regular flour, and it became my Granddad's favorite dessert. Granddad asked for some the other day, and I could not bring myself to bake another gluten-filled dessert, simply because I hate cooking something when I have no way of telling how it tastes. So, I went out on a limb and baked these cupcakes and they came out amazing on the first go at it. I have never been more proud of something I've baked in my life. AND they're paleo!!! I think I found my new favorite thing to bake :D

Ingredients:
3 cups almond meal
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground clove
1/8 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp vanilla
6 eggs
4 T grape seed oil (or olive oil)
1/2 cup raw agave
1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1.2 cup chopped pineapple

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and allow cream cheese (if desired) to come to room temperature while you prepare the rest. Mix together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, then add the carrots and pineapple. Make sure to coat the carrots and pineapple with the flour well. Mix together all of the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and blend together well. Pour into cupcake cups and bake from 16-20 minutes, until the tops are golden brown. Allow to cool.

Icing (not paleo at all)
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup raw agave
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla

Blend all ingredients together and allow to chill in fridge for about 10 minutes. Top the cupcakes once they are cool.

These cupcakes are delicious without the icing, but if you're someone who thinks carrot cake goes with cream cheese icing like a toothbrush and toothpaste, I included the recipe for the icing... at least it's sans white sugar!

old fashioned peach ice cream.. the splurge that's worth it!

There is nothing better in the world to me than creamy, frozen deliciousness blended with super sweet, ripe peaches. I'm big on chocolate, but I'll give up chocolate for homemade peach ice cream ANY day. I was just down south where I will continue to call "home" and of course, I had to have homemade peach ice cream. It's kind of a given when I go home. I will always look for peach ice cream and boiled peanuts. Some day, I have got to end up back down in the humid, super hot, uncrowded, barefoot-loving, awesomeness of the southern comfort I love to call home. Warning: this is totally a splurge. But hey, as I always say when ice cream is in question... it's packed with protein, calcium, vitamin D and the delicious fiber and antioxidants of fruit!

Ingredients:
4 cups soft peaches, peeled and sliced
1.5 cups sugar
3 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
2% milk

In a large bowl, mash peaches with sugar. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Stir in remaining ingredients, except for the milk. Chill well. Prepare ice cream freezer. Pour mixture into the freezer, then fill to the fill line with 2% milk. Turn on the ice cream freezer until the mixture hardens. Let sit for a few minutes until ready to serve. Enjoy that taste of the south! YUM!

paleo chocolate chip cookies- soooo healthy, SO delicious!

From meatnveggies

After having these paleo cookies, made without any flour but blanched almond flour, which is simply finely ground almonds, I don't think I'll ever have to eat another "normal" cookies. These cookies hit the spot!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups blanched, finely ground almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup warm coconut or grapeseed oil
1/2 cup agave nectar or honey
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup coarsely chopped dark chocolate

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, and baking soda. In a medium bowl, blend coconut oil, honey or agave, and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until combined. Fold in the chocolate, then refrigerate the dough for about 20 minutes. While in fridge, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper (these cookies are SUPER sticky so do this). Drop 1 T of dough at a time onto the prepared sheets and press down with the palm of your hand to flatten each cookies and leave 2 inches between each cookie. Bake for 7-10 minutes until slightly golden, and allow to cool for 20 minutes before moving cookies. Enjoy!!

I love these so much, not only because they are so healthy, but they are PACKED with protein. You can eat one of these as an easy and delicious snack/dessert and you just helped yourself to a homemade protein bar. Enjoy sparingly, because they are still calorie dense, but the calories are GOOD calories! Also, once you open a pack of almond flour, make sure to put it into a sealed container and refrigerate.

GF crispy rice treats!

What is the best quick and easy dessert ever? Rice crispy treats!!! The ones pictures above are ones I made for easter this year. I molded them into little easter eggs with pastel M&Ms. A big mistake for the gluten intolerant? Eating regular Rice Crispies cereal! It's sweetened with barley malt, so it's definitely not gluten free. However, the company announced earlier this year that their cereal will be gluten free by the summer of 2012, yay, success! Until then I'll be sticking with Nature's Path Koala Crisp cereal or other gluten free brown rice cereal.

Ingredients:
1 box of Koala or other rice cereal, 11.5 oz
4 T butter
1 bag of mini marshmallows
mix-ins if desired- chopped reeses cups, heath, m&ms...

Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat. Once melted, add the whole bag of marshmallows and stir until melted. Remove from heat and stir in the box of cereal until evenly mixed. Into a regular sized casserole dish, pour the cereal mixture. Wear a disposable glove on one hand, spray that gloved hand with nonstick spray, and evenly pat down the cereal into the dish.  So easy and so delicious!

healthier chocolate peanut butter cake

I make a birthday cake for my dad every year. I try to make a cake for other friends and family when I get the opportunity to do so. Growing up, I would bake carrot cake for my grandmother and german chocolate cake for my grandfather, on their birthdays. It seems a little strange to bake cakes to give to someone on their birthday, but to me whatever you can do well is what you should do for someone on a special day. I bake well, and birthdays are incredibly important to me.

I'm not sure why I think birthdays are so important. My parents always wished me a happy birthday and made sure the day was awesome and I had some presents and what not, but it was never anything crazy like the ones you see on TV or some of the ones my friends have had. My parents made more certain that every single day of our lives was special and they would give me some sort of present almost everyday. This may sound materialistic, but by present, I mean some type of candy, CD, an adventure such as taking us to the park or water slides or pool. They did what they did best, and that was parenting. I'd like to attempt to carry on that sort of passion for those I love, but I still think birthdays are special. People are my favorite aspect of life. I love people so much it hurts, even if I don't even know them that well. I love my clients so much that if one of them leaves whether it's due to moving or something else, it hurts me to see them go. I love my family so much that a part of me will always be homesick since everyone will probably never be in the exact same place with me at the same time so I'll always have someone to miss. This is why I love birthdays. A birthday is a day where I can tell you how incredibly thankful I am to have you in my life, to be a part in changing my life, and for allowing me to learn from another wonderful person.

So to thank my chocoholic dad for being such a huge part of my life, I baked him a cake, eventually. Well, both of my parents are sweetoholics, so I didn't really stand a chance. I didn't get to bake him a birthday cake on time this year since a new precious little bundle of joy was born the day after his birthday and I could only make one trip to see my sweet little nephew. Instead, I baked him a cake a month later when we took a trip to the Outer Banks. I'm glad it worked out that way, since my friend Caroline posted an amazing recipe for this healthier version of a chocolate peanut butter cake on her website just a few days before I left for vacation. I won't repost the recipe, but will let you visit her website at: Secret Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake. She is MUCH better at decorating and making things look delectable and even posted the nutritional value.

Happy birthday again Dad!

easy chocolate and cream cheese cupcakes

Anyone who is short on time and loves a good cupcake will love this recipe. This recipe yields 12 cupcakes.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup sugar
1 pinch salt
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups GF all purpose flour
1/4 cup Hershey's baking cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup coconut oil (or any oil on hand)
1 T vinegar
1 tsp vanilla

In a small bowl combine first four ingredients, add chocolate chips, and set aside. Mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill cupcake paper-lined muffin tins halfway with the chocolate mixture, then drop a large spoonful of the cheese mixture on top of the chocolate (to fill the cups to 3/4 full). Bake for about 18 minutes.

So simple, anyone who is severely kitchen-challenged can still make these!

decadent dark chocolate cupcakes

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated, "American Classics 2009"

As much as I LOVE chocolate, I'm not a huge chocolate cupcake lover. However, I really enjoyed these chocolate cupcakes because they weren't overly sweet and they were incredibly moist, which always makes for a better cupcake. Considering that I took them to a party where only about 8 people partook in the cupcakes, and all of the 12 of these were eaten, along with another variety I made as well, I'm guessing everyone agreed these were pretty darned tasty.

Makes 12 cupcakes. Do not double batch.

Ingredients:
8 T unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup Hershey's baking cocoa
3/4 cup GF all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Combine butter, chocolate chips and cocoa in a medium heat-safe bowl and microwave for about 3 minutes, pulling out and stirring every minute to melt evenly. Set aside to cool. Whisk flour, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl to combine and set aside. In a separate, large bowl, whisk the eggs, add sugar, vanilla, salt and whisk until fully blended. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk. Whisk in 1/2 of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Whisk in sour cream, then sift in remaining flour mixture until batter is smooth and thick. Pour batter evenly into cups and bake for about 16 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Ice with meringue buttercream, if desired, recipe for buttercream can be found at: Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting.

Jake got his fish!!! ... and a GF chocolate chip cookie cake to go with them :)

I'm so proud of my hubby!! Not only is he a super incredibly amazing husband who could do no wrong, he is also smart and driven and is now a fully qualified submarine officer, and I wanted to show him how proud I am. He loves cookie cakes, and I have never made one. This one is light and fluffy and I even attempted to decorate it with an edible version of dolphin pins using cream cheese icing. Yeah, that part didn't turn out so well, but I'm pretty sure you (if you're part of the submarine life) get the picture. I lack any talent when it comes to visual art, but when you're married to someone awesome, it doesn't matter.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip/Peanut Butter Chip Cookie Cake:
1 1/4 cups rice flour
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato starch
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup milk chocolate and peanut butter chips

In small bowl, whisk flours, starch, xanthan gum, soda and salt and set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla and mix until everything is well blended. Add flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into cake tin (I used a 9 inch tin) and press to flatten. Bake until golden, 25 minutes. Cool and add icing if desired.

Cream cheese icing:
4 oz. butter
4 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. powdered sugar

semi-homemade samoas, yes, GF!

You can't really ask for anything more than caramel, chocolate, and coconut, all rolled into one cookie. I miss those girl scout cookies (Samoas) so badly. I think they were brought up in about 3 completely separate conversations over the weekend. My niece asked her mommy right before bedtime if she could have some, she couldn't, and she almost cried (although she was allowed to have 1 since her mommy is so nice). I told her I wanted some too, and I think I wanted to cry as well. Seriously. So anyway, I made some.

Warning: these are in no way healthy. Well, I guess you could make the argument that chocolate makes you happy and coconut is healthy fat, but to be completely honest, these are not good for you, sorry :)

You have the option of making some homemade butter cookies and use those, but these cookies are time-consuming enough. I used Schars brand shortbread cookies and these turned out well.

Ingredients:
2 bags Schars GF shortbread cookies (or 3 dozen butter cookies)
1 bag (14 oz) chewy caramels (make sure they are gluten free.. I used Kraft)
1/4 tsp. salt
3 T. coconut milk
3 cups coconut flakes, toasted (toast at 300 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring often)
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melt the caramels, milk, and salt in a microwave safe bowl for about 4 minutes, stirring in order help it melt evenly. While caramels are melting, place the cookies out on parchment paper. When caramel is smooth, stir in toasted coconut flakes. Spread a dollop of the mixture onto each cookie. Melt the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Dunk the bottom of each cookie into the melted chocolate and place back onto the parchment paper. Once all cookies are dunked, drizzle the chocolate over the cookies. Remember, if the caramel starts to harden or the chocolate does, while you are working on them, pop it back into the microwave. Allow cookies to cool before moving and storing them.

peanut butter crispies

I LOVE peanut butter. I also love rice crispy treats. I found a recipe for these treats in a Woman's Day magazine, and just spruced them up a tad. Enjoy these because there is almost no sugar, being sweetened with molasses and honey, and they also have protein and fiber!

Ingredients:
1 11.5 oz box crispy brown rice cereal (I use Koala Crisp)
2/3 cup natural Peanut Butter- remember, no extra stuff, just peanuts in the ingredients!
2/3 cup honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted

Combine the peanut butter, honey, vanilla and chocolate in a saucepan then add to the cereal and mix. Spread into a 13x9 pan or smaller. Cut and enjoy!

gluten free graham crackers, oh my!

Yes, I know. It's really strange to make your own graham crackers. However, I really wanted to make my key-lime cheesecake for my family and friends, and be able to eat it too. So I gathered up some ingredients and here is the delicious recipe!


Ingredients:
1.5 cups plus 4 T Gluten Free All Purpose Flour1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
7 T cold butter
1/4 cup honey
1 T brown sugar3 to 6 tablespoons cold water
cinnamon sugar 


Mix all dry ingredients down to salt, then cut butter up and blend it into the dry ingredients. Mix together the honey, brown sugar, and cold water, then blend into the dry ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place dough into the refrigerator for a few minutes, so that it may be rolled out and worked with like sugar cookies. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and roll dough out onto paper, to about 1/4 inch thin. Poke holes into the flattened dough with a fork, slice into squares as large as you like, and sprinkle on cinnamon sugar, if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes. 

key-lime cheesecake... if heaven were a dessert, this would be it

Key Lime Cheesecake on the Food Network
I LOVE this dessert. I got this recipe from the Food Network. Click on the link above for it. This is the first recipe I have ever used in my life that I didn't modify. Every bite is so amazing. I'm not going to lie, this is the most complicated recipe I've ever made and takes so much time it seems like it's not even worth it, until you eat it. For the crust, I used my own graham cracker recipe and then crushed up the crackers for the crust and used those in the above recipe's instructions for the crust, in order to make it gluten free. Have at it and ENJOY!!!

oatmeal coconut walnut chocolate chip cookies

I am a sucker for cookies, especially if they have nuts. I like to have cookies around just to savor whenever I get a little sweet tooth, and that will carry me throughout the day. If you're one of those people who are like my Dad, and can't just have one cookie, you might not want to make these. I'm not actually giving a recipe out for this, because it's a family secret, made up by my Aunt Connie, the true baker of the family who also made mine and Jake's awesome chocolate wedding cake. Her recipe for oatmeal cookies come out crispy and amazing... like no other cookie I've ever had.

However, I will say this. Take your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, decrease the flour to almost none, and add a few cups of oats. I added chocolate chips, walnuts, and coconut. If you want to make these uber healthy, you could add a handful of flax seed meal. Yay for cookies that have fiber and protein!

fudge brownies and omg yes! they are gluten free!!

I absolutely love brownies, especially when they're gooey. I'm pretty sure Jake and I are brownie sundae connoisseurs, ordering brownie sundaes everywhere we go. Just bake these brownies, and top it off with some Breyer's vanilla bean ice cream, and you are good to go.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup whole almonds, ground into fine flour
1/3 cup white rice flour
1 cup Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Chips
6 T unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line small baking pan with parchment paper.
Mix together rice flour and almond flour well and set aside.
Place chocolate, butter and salt in top of large double boiler over simmering water and stir frequently until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Remove and let cool a few minutes.
Stir in sugar and vanilla, then eggs one at a time. Add the almond and rice flour mixture and stir until thoroughly blended. Stir in nuts.
Scrap batter into pan and bake 25 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

This recipe is adapted from the Ghiradelli brownie recipe from Allrecipes.com