Apples and Bananas... Banana Bread

Good morning gorgeous humans! I woke up this morning with a craving for banana bread; it must be the cool windy morning we are having here in Sacramento. I am definitely gearing up for Fall recipe wise. It is my favorite time of year, with both my favorite holidays Halloween and Thanksgiving! (Every fat kid at heart loves Thanksgiving!!) I grew up in Southern California, and they don't really have a Fall season where leaves change, weather changes, etc. So when I moved up to Nor Cal, experiencing my first Fall here was amazing! 

So anyway, back to my cravings... I wanted banana bread, but I didn't want to feel extremely guilt for it. I had also picked up some spelt flours and I wanted to try them out. Spelt flour is a wheat flour, but it has less gluten than whole wheat flour, which is what I typically use. It is NOT 100% gluten free, so if you are celiac, don't use it as an alternative. However, for those who are not, it is a great alternative to whole wheat flour. It is light, nutty, but a little sweet too. I used both whole spelt flour and white spelt flour in this recipe because mixing them makes for a better baking batter, but if you wanted to use all whole spelt flour it would work too! Spelt flour has a great amount of protein and fiber, and essential nutrients! 

So now, you are probably wondering how to make this amazing bread right?! Well let me share with you the recipe that will have your family and friends loving you forever! ;) 

What You'll Need:

(Makes 1 loaf of bread)

1 1/4 cup white spelt flour

1 1/4 cup whole spelt flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 cup overly ripe mashed bananas (about 2-3 bananas, and not too overly ripe)

3 TBLSP of egg whites

3/4 cup date purée 

1/4 cup honey or pure maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

2 tsp vanilla

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a loaf pan.

2. With a fork, mash the bananas into a purée. It is okay to leave some chunks of banana!

3. Combine all the dry ingredients together, and combine all the wet ingredients together.

4. Pour all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix with a wooden spoon until there are no clumps.

5. Pour into the greased loaf pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle of the bread.

That taste of Fall is upon you! Enjoy!

#eatyourheartout 

Chocolate Chip Cookies!

Hello World,

It's Christina here, and well... I LOVE COOKIES! I especially love ooey gooey chocolate chip ones. The kind that when you break them in half the chocolate strings like the cheese in a grilled cheese. I love the smell, the taste, the crunchy outsides and soft insides. Yep, I love it all!

I tried to come up with a recipe that was a little healthier than normal chocolate chip cookies, but still delicious. I tried these cookies out on a group of guys and dolls, and they were a hit! So today, well I guess tonight, I am going to share with you my recipe for delicious (not AS bad for you) chocolate chip cookies!

What You'll Need:

(Makes anywhere from 2-3 dozen)

1/2 cup Earth Balance

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 TBLSP ground flax or chia seeds

3 TBLSP water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 tsp hot water

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 cup dairy free chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix together the TBLSP of ground flax or chia seeds with the TBSLP of water and put it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

3. Cream together sugar and butter.

4. Add vanilla extract and flax/chia egg and combine well.

5. Next, dissolve the baking soda into the hot water, then add the mixture and salt to the sugar batter and mix well.

6. Blend in flour and cream of tartar until there are no clumps.

7. Gently fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts (if using) to the batter.

8. Scoop the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes of until golden brown.

9. Take the cookies out of the oven and allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes before moving them.

Enjoy!!! :)

Oh Fudge! Peanut Butter Sugar & Dairy Free Fudge!

If you haven't realized it by now, I have a serious addiction to peanut butter. Almond butter is great too, so is seed butter, but there is just something about peanut butter that makes my whole universe complete! It can be creamy, chunky, flavored, there are so many varieties it never let's you down! 

There is also a product out called PB2. This is a defatted peanut butter that comes in a powder form and you add water to it. I'm not crazy about the taste on its own to be honest, but I think it's great for adding into baked goods or mixing with other things. You can get PB2 on Amazon, or in a store like Target or Walmart. They have a regular peanut butter and chocolate PB as well. For this recipe I used the regular because it was what I had, but I'm sure the chocolate would taste AMAZING too! (Might have to do a blog update on that. ;)

In order to make this sugarless, I had to use something that could be a sugar alternative, so I choose dates. Dates are high in fiber, no fat, high in potassium, and while they have natural sugar, it is well natural, none of this refined stuff. I bought over 3 pounds worth of pitted dates at Costco for $7.00! 

Let's make this incredible, melt in your mouth fudge! 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (creamy or chunky)

1/2 cup PB2

1/4 cup water

2 cups pitted dates

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To Prepare:

1. Measure your dates out into a container and fill the container with water above the dates so they can soak. Soak them until their outer layer looks like it could peel off. 

2. Drain the dates into a bowl to a bowl, allowing you to keep the water from the soaked dates.

3. In a food processor or blender, process the dates and 2 tblsp of water at a time (only use more to reach the right consistency) until you reach the consistency of applesauce. 

4. Mix the 1/2 cup of PB2 with the 1/4 cup of water and stir well.

5. Add the 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the PB2 mixture and continue to store until smooth. 

6. Grease an 8x8 pan by putting coconut oil on a paper towel and wiping the pan down. (You don't want a lot of oil, just enough to coat the inside.)

7. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add the almond or coconut milk and the purée dates. (The dates should equal about 1-1/2 cups when puréed.) Continue to stir while you bring it to a boil.

8. Allow the mixture to boil for 2 1/2-3 minutes, then remove it from the heat. 

9. At this time add in the peanut butter mixture and vanilla and continue to stir until evenly blended and mixture starts to thicken. 

10. Pour into the greased pan, and let it cool in the refrigerator for 30-40 minutes.

11. Once the mixture has cooled, cover it with foil or other wrap and put it in the freezer until fully hardened. About 2-3 hours.  

12. Take the fudge out, cut it into squares, and store in an airtight container in the freezer.

Enjoy!