{Recipe} Coconut Almond Granola

With spring comes new life, crocuses poking through the earth, birds chirping, and a fresh reminder that warmer days are coming. Spring also brings Easter, and with Easter come houseguests! Whenever I have guests come to stay I try to have a few little treats in the house, homemade or otherwise. Homemade granola is one of my favorite treats to keep in stock, and today I'm sharing my recipe with you!

This isn't necessarily a health food, but it makes a really yummy breakfast with milk and berries, or sprinkled on a little greek yogurt. Sweet and crunchy, kids and adults alike will love this stuff. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:

3 cups old fashioned or quick oats
1 cup sliced almonds
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened, your choice)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey (substitute maple syrup or agave for babies under 1!)
3 T coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350*.
Optional step: quickly toast your almonds on a cookie sheet. This ads some nice depth of flavor but I skipped this step today.

In a large bowl, combine your oats, almonds, coconut, salt, and sugar into an even mixture. I prefer to use my hands for mixing throughout this recipe but feel free to use a spoon or spatula if you don't want to get dirty.

In a small glass bowl, add your honey and coconut oil and heat until oil is melted. Add vanilla extract and cinnamon to the bowl and mix with a fork.
Pour the honey mixture over the oats and use your hands to work evenly through until the oat mix is uniformly damp.
Spread your mixture out on a nonstick baking sheet (I used my silicone mats, of course!) and bake for 5 minutes at a time, turning and stirring in between, until you reach desired color. I baked my granola for 15 minutes total. Allow granola to cool on the baking sheet
Note that the granola will not be crunchy when it comes out of the oven- it will crisp up as it cools. Store in a sealed bag or bowl for serving throughout the next few weeks, if it lasts that long!

We love this recipe, and it is so customizable to your tastes! Here are some different serving options-

• Add chopped dried fruit, such as cranberries, apricots, or banana chips
• Mix with M&Ms and nuts for a DIY trail mix
• Spread apple slices with peanut butter and dunk in granola. Makes a great afternoon snack!
• Layer with yogurt and berries in mason jars for a pretty parfait
• Sprinkle over ice cream for a yummy sweet crunch

I hope you give this recipe a shot and enjoy it! Let me know if you do, and comment below, how do you impress your houseguests? What special things do you do to treat the people you love? Thanks for reading.

xo Allison

{Recipe} Honey Whole Wheat Graham Crackers

I'm always looking for baby snacks that are easy to make and take, that Felicity actually likes to eat. When my friend Liz shared this recipe with me I just had to try it out and I'm so glad I did! These homemade graham crackers are super easy to prepare and they are a hit with our whole house. Mine turned out a little more cookie-like than intended but I kinda love that! These are naturally sweetened with honey, and even have some whole wheat flour in them so I feel good eating them and giving them to the baby! Here's what you'll need:

(Original recipe found here)

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
1½ cups all purpose flour
½ cup dark brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup butter, chilled & cubed
¼ cup honey
¼ cup water
1 teaspoon vanilla

Method:

Combine your dry ingredients in a bowl or food processor and mix thoroughly. Add the butter and using your food processor, hand mixer or pastry cutter, combine with the dry mix until you reach a mealy consistency. It is important to keep the butter very cold before mixing, like you're making a pie crust.

Last, add the vanilla, honey, and water and continue to pulse/mix until the dough takes shape. It will look like a sandy consistency in the bowl, but will stick in a ball when pressed together. Turn the dough out onto a floured or non-stick surface (I used one of my silicone baking mats - I'm totally obsessed with these!) and roll out into thin disk, about 1/4" to 1/8"thick. The thinner you roll out your dough, the crispier your crackers will turn out.

Use cookie cutters to cut out shapes for your crackers. I picked some spring shapes since it was the first day of spring this week! Sure, its snowing here in Northern Michigan, but butterfly shaped crackers make it seem springy anyway!

Arrange your crackers on a non-stick baking sheet (did I mention I'm obsessed with these!?) and bake at 350* for 10-15 minutes. My oven runs hot so I only baked for 10 and these came out just perfect!

I got about 2 dozen cookies out of this recipe and its a good thing, because they are going FAST! Felicity made short work of one right out of the oven. The little hint of cinnamon makes these feel like such a treat, but they are really not a bad-for-you snack!

True confessions- I whipped up a quick batch of buttercream frosting for a treat and my hubby and I had it on these as an afternoon snack with some tea. Y-U-M! I'd like to figure out a chocolate variation of these cookies in the future, and I'll be sure to share the recipe here if I do!

I hope you enjoy this little whole wheat treat! Check in later this week for an update on my cloth diapering journey, and info on how to get your diapers *really* clean. Thanks for reading!

xo Allison

Recipe: Simple Sandwich Bread

Almost 2 years ago, Scott & I started making our own bread instead of buying loaves at the grocery store. Since then, I can count on one hand the loaves of bread we've bought at the store. It creeped me out that supposedly "fresh" bread can sit on the grocer's shelves for weeks without showing signs of mold or staleness. Most of the breads you find in stores contain preservatives, artificial colors, bleaching agents, and nutrient destroying additives.

The sandwich bread recipe we use is an egg-enriched, white bread recipe. I know, whole wheat is much healthier! We have tried dozens of recipes with varying amounts of whole wheat flour, but this white bread recipe is just so far superior! The egg makes it a really rich, chewy bread and it holds up really well to butter without crumbling or tearing. If you have a great wheat bread recipe, please share, but for now we'll stick with this :)

We love love love our breadmaker. We use it at least twice a week to make bread, pizza dough, rolls, or buns. If you don't have one, I absolutely recommend getting one! I see them at Goodwill and Salvation Army all the time for just a few dollars. Keep your eye out and you might be able to pick one up for a great deal.

The smell of fresh baked bread is wonderfully infectious and welcoming! Homemade bread is a great way to impress your holiday guests without a lot of time or effort. We got this recipe from our Bread Machine Cook Book by Jennie Shapter. Here's what you'll need for this simple sandwich bread:

Ingredients

Yeild: 1 Medium Loaf

1 egg + 1 yolk
Water (see method)
4 1/2 C unbleached white flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon rapid-rise active dry yeast

Method

Put the eggs in a measuring cup and add water to make 1 1/3 cups. Lightly mix the eggs and water, and pour into the bread machine. Next, sprinkle the flour over the wet ingredients to cover evenly. Measure the sugar out into one corner of the bread maker, and the salt into the other. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the machine. Last, make a small well in the flour and add the yeast.

You can bake the bread in the bread maker by selecting the White Bread setting, but we like to bake ours in the oven in regular loaf pans. This seems like a silly distinction, but baking in loaf pans makes for a better shaped loaf for sandwiches or toast. The bread maker makes a taller, almost cube shaped loaf which doesn't work as well. If you want to bake in the oven like we do, select the dough setting. Close the lid, and walk away! Our dough setting takes 90 minutes.

When the dough is complete, remove from the bread maker immediately. Shape into a loaf on a floured surface, and lay into a greased bread pan. Cover the pan with a wet cloth and leave in a warm place to rise for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size. We usually set ours on the stove (while the oven preheats), or in the microwave.

Once the loaf is risen, make a slit about 1/2 inch deep across the top of the bread. Bake in a 350* oven for 25 minutes or until dark golden brown. Remove to a cooling rack to cool.

We just love this bread recipe! The smell is intoxicating and it makes really yummy toast and sandwiches. The inside is fluffy and moist, with a crunchy outer crust. It should be noted that homemade bread should be stored in a sealed, dry container ideally in the fridge. The lack of preservatives make it prone to mold if left out for too long, so be careful! We almost never have issues because, well, we eat this up so fast! 

I challenge you not to have a hot slice of this bread fresh from the oven... it is almost impossible! I hope your family enjoys this yummy bread. Merry Christmas, and thanks for checking in! 

xo Allison

Quick Tip Tuesday: Baby Led Weaning Simple Snack Bars

Our little sweetheart is 8 months old, and she is really starting to get the hang of solid foods! When we started introducing "real foods" to her diet at 6 months of age, we opted to go with Baby Led Weaning versus the conventional puree route. We are so happy we did!

BLW works for us because there is no pureeing or buying jarred foods, and believe it or not, BLW also reduces choking risk since it teaches little ones to chew before swallowing. Babies who start on real foods versus purees generally grow up to be great eaters since they are used to different textures and flavors, which was a big reason for us picking this method. Best of all, and the most important reason for us... it is really easy! There's no need to prepare a special meal for the baby; Felicity just gets a little portion of whatever we eat at dinner. Her favorite things are pickles, apple slices, plain greek yogurt, and these little granola bars.

I got this great recipe from my friend Leslie who did baby led weaning with her sweet little Maddy. The bars are easy for little hands to grip and for toothless mouths to mash up, and are naturally sweet without any extra junk. They were a huge hit in our house and are super simple to make! Here's what you'll need:

1 Ripe Banana
1/2 C Rolled Oats
1/4 C Raisins or Chopped Dried Fruit

Method

Preheat the oven to 350*F

Mash up your banana, and combine with oats and fruit. If you prefer a finer texture, pop the oats into a food processor before use. You want the mixture to be a thick dough that you can easily form into bars. Add some more oats if needed to get to a good texture. 

Form your mixture into bars. I got 5 bars out of this recipe but  you can make the bars any size you like. Lay out on a prepared cookie sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes until the outsides are firm and a light golden brown. Cool and serve, or freeze for use within 1 month.

These are a great day care snack, and perfect for tossing in the diaper bag for eating on the go. My favorite way to use this is as a distraction when I'm eating something I really don't want to share ;) She happily eats her granola bar while mama enjoys her own treat! Babies can make just about any food a messy one, but these keep the mess to a minimum.

Felicity just loves these healthy snack bars and I think your baby will too! For more information on Baby Led Weaning, check out www.babyledweaning.com. KellyMom also has some great information on how and when to introduce solids to your baby's diet. Check out those links! Thanks for stopping in to read 

xo Allison

Recipe: Halloween Super Snack

Halloween is such a fun holiday! Spooky decorations, cheesy music, carving pumpkins, dressing up, and of course there is always a TON of candy around. For those of us trying to cut the junk food, Halloween is right up there with Christmas as far as challenging food choices go.  Fortunately, there is a super healthy and totally yummy alternative to heading face first into the candy bowl this Friday. When you carve your pumpkin, save the seeds for this easy treat.

Did you know that pumpkin seeds are a super food? They are packed with magnesium, zinc, omega-3 fatty acids, and some studies even suggest that the nutrients in pumpkin seeds can increase good cholesterol, help with insulin regulation, and work as anti-inflammatory agents in the body. That is pretty amazing for one little seed!

There are lots of great ways to much on these healthy seeds such as sprouting them, soaking them, or even consuming them raw, but my favorite way to eat pumpkin seeds is roasted! 

Here is how I usually prepare this super snack:

When you carve your pumpkin, I find it helps to have two bowls for the innards- one for seeds and one for other gunk. The seeds usually separate naturally from the other pumpkin guts, and the two bowl system makes the final cleaning process much quicker.

Rinse your seeds in a bowl and clean the leftover guts from the bowl. If you fill the bowl with water and swirl with your hand, most of the goop will rise to the surface, so you can skim it off and move on! Once your seeds are clean, pop them into a pot of salted hot water and boil for 10 minutes. This takes off the signature slime of the pumpkin seeds and makes them much crispier when roasted.

Dump your seeds out into a strainer and then dry thoroughly. They don't need to be perfectly dry but excess moisture will keep them from roasting properly. They'll stick to the towel, that's normal, so just brush them off into a bowl and you're good to go.

Drizzle a tiiiiiny but if olive oil onto the dry seeds (I used about 2 tsp for 3 pumpkins worth of seeds!) and season however you like. This time I kept it simple with just a pinch of sea salt, but in the past I have used paprika, cumin, chili powder, seasoned salt, garlic powder, or a combination of those spices for some seeds with attitude ;)

Spread your oiled and seasoned seeds onto a cookie sheet. The less the seeds overlap, the better for roasting! Roast in the oven at 350* for about 20 minutes, stirring halfway through, until the shells are very light golden brown. The actual seed inside the shell can be burned pretty easily, so keep a close eye on these as they roast. Properly roasted seeds lose their shiny look and have an almost hollow sound as they rub together. Silly, but that's how I tell! I took mine out of the oven about 5 times before I was happy with the color, but it was worth it because they are perfect! 

These are totally delicious hot out of the oven, but are also great in lunch boxes for later! I plan on keeping mine in a big bowl next to the candy this Friday to keep me from munching on Milky Ways as I meet trick-or-treaters at the door. 

Thanks for checking in for this simple, easy super snack! I hope you all have a happy, safe, and super Halloween!

xo Allison

Recipe: Whole Wheat Apple Tart and Bonus Recipe!

I promised I would share my journey on this blog, succeed or fail, and today I make good on that! My whole wheat apple tart didn't turn out quite how I imagined. I tried to combine a Rustic Apple Tart recipe that we've loved in the past with a naturally sweetened apple filling recipe, and a whole wheat pie crust recipe.  It went a little something like this:

Crust Ingredients:
3/4C Whole Wheat Flour
1/2C Rolled Oats
2t Granulated Sugar
1/3C Cold Butter
2-3T Very Cold Water

Crust Method:
Blend oats and in your food processor until oats are ground to a fine flour.
Cut butter into small portions an dadd to food processor as you continue to blend.
Slowly pour in very cold water and continue to blend until dough pulls together. Watch carefully so you don't add too much water!

Pat the dough into a disc shape and wrap in wax paper. Place in the fridge until cool and workable, about 1 hour.

Remove from fridge and roll out into a 10" circle... or whatever shape you can get it to make once its flat. This is as close as I could get to a circle, so I just rolled with it (he he, see what I did there?)

Filling Ingredients:
7 Large Local Apples*
1/2 Lemon
2 T Melted Butter

1/2C Real Maple Syrup

1t Cinnamon

3T flour

* I had some lovely little apples from the grounds of a local winery, but not quite as many as the recipe called for, so I used 5 small local apples, and 3 large apples from the grocery store. I ended up with way to much for this tart style pie, which ended up being a blessing. Read on!

Method:
Peel and slice your apples into a bowl, lightly tossing with the juice of 1/2 lemon to keep the apples from browning.

Combine melted butter with maple syrup and pour over sliced apples. In a separate bowl combine cinnamon and flour, and then sprinkle the mix over apples. Toss to coat.

Now, this is where things went south for me. Because of the wheat and oats in the crust as opposed to normal white flour, the crust was really prone to crumbling and difficult to move. In an ideal situation, this is how your method would continue:

Slide your pie crust circle onto a prepared cookie sheet or pie pan. Pour the apple mixture into the center (I had about twice as much as needed, which ended up being great actually. Keep reading...) and fold the edges of the crust up over the apples, leaving the center exposed.

Here is what it SHOULD look like:

(source)

Here is what MINE looked like:

Yikes. Cracked crust, overflowing apples... not pretty. I went ahead and put it in the oven anyways, but it was not what I had hoped for! I have made this recipe in the past with a white flour crust and it was delicious! My end result here was edible, but certainly not something fit for a thanksgiving table.

Pop in the oven at 400* for 20-45 minutes or until the crust is crisp and golden. Mine never quite got there before the apples started getting too browned.

BONUS RECIPE- Here's what I did with the extra apples! Even though this isn't a clean recipe, it turned out soooo yummy so I thought I would share!


Pour the apple mixture into ramekins (I had enough for 4), and set on a cookie sheet.
In a separate bowl, combine 4T of cold butter, 2-3T of white flour, 2T of white sugar, and a dash of Cinnamon. Use a fork or pastry cutter to combine into a crumbly mixture of flour & sugar coated butter pieces. Use this mixture to top the apples in the ramekins. You should have enough to cover the top of each container.

Put in a 400* oven for 15-20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

So, today wasn't a total success but not a complete loss either. I will definitely be using the naturally sweetened apple filling recipe again, but I think that all of my future pie crust endeavors will be white flour only! Hey, you can't win 'em all.

Thanks for checking in :) See you next week!

xo Allison

Recipe: All Natural Pumpkin Spice Latte

The weather is cooling down, the trees are changing to reds and golds, and I have a craving for comfort food! Today's recipe will be the first in a series of guilt free, clean versions of some of my favorite fall treats.

Nothing says fall like a hot, delicious Pumpkin Spice Latte! Unfortunately, the popular Starbucks version is packed with yucky additives including artificial colors, tons of processed sugars, sulfites, and the list goes on. Fortunately, there is a healthy (ok, healthier!) way to satisfy your PSL craving this Autumn, and it is actually really easy to make! I found this delicious recipe on Mama Natural's Blog and tweaked it a little to share with you. The recipe below yields about 4 "Tall" sized drinks. Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients:
4 Cups of Almond Milk or milk of your choice
2 Cups of strongly brewed coffee or espresso
3/4 C Pumpkin Puree (I recommend using organic but it wasn't available in my area)
1/4C + 2Tbsp Real Organic Maple Syrup
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:
First, combine the maple syrup and almond milk. Heat in a pot on the stove.
While your milk is heating, brew your coffee. I used twice the recommended amount of beans to get a nice strong coffee.
Pour the brewed coffee into a glass bowl and combine with vanilla, pumpkin pie spice, and pumpkin puree. Whisk the mixture until combined.
Next, add the milk and syrup to the bowl and continue to whisk. If you want a nice foamy mixture, whip with an immersion blender or in a traditional blender.
Pour out into mugs and enjoy! Serve topped with whipped cream :)

This will be the perfect treat for tonight's Homecoming Parade & football game. Go Bulldogs! :) I hope you enjoy this delicious latte recipe! Check back next Friday for another fall treat, fresh from the oven!

xo Allison

Edit:

I had a reader ask for nutrition facts on this recipe, so here they are! Yes, it is only 157 calories per serving if made exactly as above! Whipped cream not included :)

Recipe: Fresh Pasta Sauce with Home Grown Tomatoes

We visited my in-laws this past weekend and came home with a huge bag of tomatoes from my mother-in-law's garden. As soon as I got my hands on these perfectly plump, shiny, red tomatoes I just knew they were destined to be pasta sauce! My husband and I eat a LOT of pasta with marinara sauce, and while the brand we normally buy is pretty clean, I have always wanted to try making my own.

It was pretty overwhelming trying to find a recipe for homemade sauce as there are so many variations out there, and just as many opinions on what tastes the best. I decided to take the advice of an Italian girlfriend of mine and kept it simple. "All you need is onion, olive oil, tomatoes, and basil," she said. "Ok, I can do that," I thought! Here is what I came up with...

For my sauce, I used:

7 large garden-fresh tomatoes

4 cloves of garlic

1 Tbsp dried basil (or use fresh if you have it!)

1 large white onion

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:

Set a large pot of water to boil. Wash the tomatoes and cut out the tops. Cut an "X" shape across the top of the tomatoes.

Chop the onion and garlic, and saute in a pot with the olive oil until fragrant. 

Drop each tomato into the separate pot of boiling water for a few seconds. By the time I dropped in the last tomato, the first was ready to come out. This loosens the skin and makes the tomatoes very easy to peel.

Peel the tomatoes and remove the seeds, leaving you with only the meaty part of each tomato. There is no need to dice or chop these at all- they will cook down. Add the tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper to the pot with the onions and bring to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for 2-3 hours. 

Remove the mixture from heat and puree with an immersion blender, or pour into a regular blender and blend to desired texture. We found the regular blender to be easier and less messy!

Voila! This pasta sauce was incredibly delicious. It has a bright, fresh flavor that is simply unmatched by canned sauces. This sauce can be canned (follow can manufacturer's instructions) or frozen for later use. The recipe above yielded about 3-4 cups of sauce.

Do you grow your own tomatoes? What is your favorite way to use them? Please share in the comments below! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you enjoy this delicious Fresh Pasta Sauce recipe! 

xo Allison