Healthy Tropical Fruit Tart

Playing a little catch up today with some of my recent recipes! This fruit tart is one of my new favorites! A crisp macadamia and oat crust, filled with naturally sweetened coconut cream, and topped with fresh mango and sliced strawberries.


This recipe has all the sweet, tasty notes of a dessert but is full of all sorts of healthy ingredients! I shared it as part of my monthly contribution to SomewhatSimple.com so click here to check it out!

At This Moment 03

Making: our home more organized.
Cooking: tonight's dinner and feeling all sorts of productive.
Reading: The One World Schoolhouse written by Salman Kahn.
Wanting: to simplify.
Looking: at my girls building a fort and giggling together.
Playing: home. "Mom do you want to play home? (Insert big brown puppy-dog eyes.)  I'm the daddy and you are the sweetie!"
Wishing: summer would slow down.
Enjoying: fresh summer fruit. Currently addicted to juicy watermelon.
Waiting: for the day the girls can learn to work out their own disagreements. Referee over here!
Marveling: that we have already lived here 7 months!
Needing: groceries on the double! Our milk is looking a little lonely this morning.
Smelling: thick summer air.
Wearing: a baby on my lap.
Following: the spilled oat trail left by two little girls. They love raw oats. So weird!
Noticing: how quickly new babies change.
Thinking: we should really get dressed for the day. Its practically noon.
Bookmarking: wallpaper inspo.
Feeling: hopeful.

At This Moment 1 // 2

Churro Ice Cream Sandwiches

They say everyone has their vice, ours just happens to be ice cream.

Sandwich that ice cream between two warm homemade churros and you've got the perfect, melt-in-your-mouth, summer treat!

Today I'm sharing the recipe with Somewhat Simple. Find it HERE!

Surprise! It's a GIRL!

Laying in the OR as Tyson held my hand we both made our final guesses... 

This pregnancy had been so different for me and as much as I tried to remain neutral, I couldn't keep from thinking my overgrown belly was home to a little baby boy. And yet when Tyson announced "It's a girl!" we instantly knew this sweet little girl was meant for us. 

Now that she's here and we are learning to enjoy life with three, I hope to get back to documenting our simple little life here in New England and sharing our favorite recipes! XO 

Six Months Later...

I am a planner by nature. Sometimes I love it, sometimes it frustrates me to my core. But the older I get, the more I realize that life just isn't conducive to a plan. And over the past six months, life seemed to just effortlessly evolve into something I had never planned for. 

It all started with a positive pregnancy test that came sooner than expected, and a deeply personal trial and then ended with Tyson graduating and a new job that led us all the way across the country.

The past six months have held a lot of questioning, a lot of tears (dang hormones), and -- when I least expected it -- so much joy.

So here's to midday pregnancy cravings, new beginnings, abandoned plans, and finding joy in the journey.

Healthy Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

Today was the first day it started to feel like Fall around here. There was light rain all day so I stayed cuddled up inside with my babies wearing knit slippers and sipping on a warm cup of herbal tea.

These muffins are a perfect addition to any crisp fall morning. Lightly sweetened with maple and a touch of honey and packed full of pumpkin flavor these have quickly become a favorite at our house. And the best news? Those girls of mine devoured them!

Begin by mixing up your wet ingredients...

Then in a separate bowl toss together your dry ingredients.

And finally mix together that yummy streusel topping.

Divide the pumpkin batter between twelve muffin cups and sprinkle with your topping.

And bake that batter up into big beautiful muffins!

Healthy Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Recipe adapted from: Whole Wheat Banana Bread Muffins
Streusel Topping from: Greens & Chocolate
Yield: 12

Batter
1/2 c. pure maple syrup
1/4 c. raw honey
2 large eggs
1 can puree pumpkin, 15oz
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. white whole wheat flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/2 c. coconut oil, melted

Topping
1/4 c. rolled oats
1/2 c. white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
2 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 12 cup muffin tin with nonstick spray and set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine syrup, honey, eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract. In a seperate bowl whisk together 2 cups of white whole wheat flour, the baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low, using a rubber spatula periodically to scrape the sides. Once all of the dry ingredients have been added, slowly pour in the coconut oil and mix until totally combined.

Divide the batter among the muffin tin, adding a heaping 1/4 cup of batter to each cup.

Next in a small bowl combine all the ingredients for the streusel topping. Evenly sprinkle over the batter.

Bake for 20 minutes and insert a toothpick into the center of the muffin. If the toothpick, when removed comes out clean the muffins are done, if there is still wet batter on the toothpick, leave the muffins in the oven for an additional 3-5 minutes, until cooked through. Enjoy!

Shared HERE.

July Bittersweets

//BITTER

Missing Utah friends and family. Not having Tyson work from home. The terrible-twos making an early appearance. Sissy getting into every bottle of lotion, nail polish, and toothpaste possible. One word - humidity!

//SWEET

4th of July BBQ. Getting lots of time with the cousins, Sissy's first movie theater experience to see Inside Out. The girls singing "I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home" nonstop. Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars. Our trip to Palmyra to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. Boating with the family. Big Sister "catching" her first fish! Splash pad fun with Nana. Banana Chocolate Chunk "Ice Cream." Lots of sunshine!

Banana Chocolate Chunk "Ice Cream"

I have to laugh that I'm posting this recipe....

Because awhile back I was talking with my sister-in-law when she told me about a recipe she had found for healthy banana ice cream and the utter disappointment when she discovered the one and only ingredient in this ice cream was simply, bananas. "That's not ice cream my friend... that a frozen banana disguised as ice cream!"

Well I'm here to tell you that this too is an ice cream created by an impostor... a banana. But here's the magical thing - you toss that frozen banana in a food processor and it suddenly becomes soft serve!

Add some peanut butter and chocolate chunks and you have a delicious creamy treat worthy of the hottest summer day! I'm sharing the recipe over on Somewhat Simple! Find it HERE.

Shared HERE.

June Bittersweets

//BITTER
Packing and cleaning and cleaning and packing for our annual summer trip. Early morning flights.

//SWEET
Getting Nonprofit Prints up and running. Swim lessons for my big girl. Everyday spent playing with Penny, Ralphie, and their Mama outside. Trip to Gigi's house complete with lots of swimming. Gooey s'mores tortes. Tyson finishing another race in preparation for his 50 miler come September. An uneventful plane ride across the country with two little ones - seriously they did awesome! Reuniting with the cousins.

Cinnamon Pecan Granola

Guys I think breakfast is well on its way to becoming my favorite meal of the day.

I'm not always a fan of nuts, but toss them in oats and cinnamon...

and coat them in coconut oil, honey, and maple syrup...

And I just might reconsider my devotion... or lack there of..

I could eat this granola all the day long. And the best part about this recipe?

I promise it will make your house smell ah-mazing!!

Cinnamon Pecan Granola
Recipe from: Shannon, I Knead to Bake

2 c. rolled oats
1/4 c. spelt flour
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
2 Tbsp. ground flax seed
2 Tbsp. almond flour
1/4 pecan halves, coarsely chopped
1/4 - 1/2 tsp sea salt, to taste
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 c. coconut oil, melted
3 Tbsp honey
1/3 pure maple syrup

Directions:
Begin by preheating your oven to 250 degrees F.

In a bowl toss together the rolled oats, flour, chia seeds, ground flax seed, pecans, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the melted coconut oil, honey, and pure maple syrup. Add the mixture of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredient and stir with a rubber spatula.

Spread the mixture out as much as possible onto a large cookie sheet. Bake for 1 hour stirring every 20 minutes to ensure even baking. Once you remove the granola from the oven, do not stir until it has had time to cool, allowing larger granola clusters to form.

Serve with bananas or dried fruit if desired. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!


Shared HERE.

Honey Whole Wheat Poppyseed Bread

While we were in Maui we ate at this yummy restaurant right on the ocean called Mama's Fish House. EVERYONE told us we had to go, and let me tell you it did not disappoint.

At the start of our meal our wait staff brought out these miniatures loaves of warm wheat bread speckled with poppyseeds. Tyson and I gobbled them right up (as we do with all bread fresh from the oven) and vowed to make some of our own once we got home.



Start by getting that yeast going and then get your dry ingredients combined.

Once you have your initial dough all set, continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough hardly sticks to your finger. This is still too sticky... 

You can also tell when your dough has enough flour when it begins to pull away from the sides of bowl.

Once its done, divide it up...

And let that yeast do its magic...

Bake them in the oven and brush them with some butter.

And enjoy!

Honey Whole Wheat Poppyseed Bread

Recipe adapted from: Whole Wheat Bread

Makes 4 mini loaves or 1 regular loaf

4 Tbsp. butter,  divided
1/2 c. honey
2 cups warm water
1 Tbsp. + 3/4 tsp. dry active yeast
1 + 1/3 c. white whole wheat flour, measured correctly
2 + 2/3 c. whole wheat flour, measured correctly
1 + 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp poppyseeds
6 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten

Directions: In the bowl of a stand mixer combine 3 tablespoons of melted butter, the honey, water and yeast. Gently give the mixture a few stirs to combine all of the ingredients and set aside for about 10 minutes, until foamy.

In a separate bowl combine the white wheat flour and 1 cup of the whole wheat flour along with the salt, poppyseeds, and wheat gluten.

Once the yeast has had enough time, slowly add the dry ingredients. Mix on medium using a dough hook until incorporated. Continue to mix and add the remaining whole wheat flour, about 1/2 a cup at a time until the dough begins to pull away from the edges of the bowl. Continue to knead for about 5 minutes until the dough is smooth.

Spray 4 mini loaf pans with nonstick spray. Evenly divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Shape in loaves and place into prepared pans. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the bread has reached an internal temperature of 190 degrees F.

Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter and brush the top of each loaf. Eat warm or allow bread to cool completely and store in a plastic bag.

Shared HERE.

Healthy Berry Syrup

Remember how I have a pancake obsession???



Well I decided if I was going to be eating pancakes obsessively that I better come up with a healthy topping alternative. I'm just not one of those people who can eat pancakes without coating them in delicious sticky syrup.

And while pure maple syrup is free of refined sugar... lets get real friends... it's still sugar, and that's how your body will metabolize it.

Luckily this recipe has only 81 calories and 14.5 grams of sugar per 1/4 cup, compared to the maple syrup alternative of 210 calories and 53 grams of sugar!

Make a big batch, store it in your fridge and let your pancakes lap up the strawberry-raspberry goodness.

Healthy Berry Syrup
Recipe from: Shannon, ikneadtobake
Makes 1+1/2 cups

2 cups strawberries, frozen
2 cups raspberries, frozen
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

Directions: In a saucepan heat berries, covered, over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the berries are thawed and soft.

Turn the heat up to medium and add the maple syrup and cook until the berries begin to break down, about 3 minutes stirring constantly.

Carefully add the hot mixture to a food processor or blender and pulse until you have reached your desired consistency. (I prefer the fruit to be mostly puréed with a few small pieces of whole fruit remaining.) Serve warm.


Syrup can be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge up to one week. It is recommended that you reheat only what you plan on using. 


Shared HERE.

May Bittersweets

 //BITTER
Saying goodbye to my girls for the first time ever, Expensive roadside coconuts, More than one recipe fail, Missing Tyson cross the finish line...again!

//SWEET
Maui! Endless airplane Downton Abby, Mama's Fish House, Reuniting with my babies, Recreating treats from our vacation. Joyschool graduation, Mother's day, Timp Trail 1/2 Marathon, And finally... Red Robin... I can never say no to Red Robin.

Mini S'mores Tortes

This week finally feels like Summer around here and I am drinking it in. Sunshine, swim lessons, and s'mores.



But not just any s'mores my friends. Over at our house we are devouring these mini s'mores tortes.

Crisp graham cracker and pecan crust, a cool, rich chocolate and coconut cream filling, topped off with a handful of warm, toasted mallows.

Perfect for Father's day, a warm summer evening with friends, or a midnight snack. :)

And today I'm sharing the recipe with Stephanie over on Somewhat Simple. Click HERE for the recipe!

Shared HERE.

The Gum Incident

Because these kinds of childhood events must be documented.
The End.

P.S. The peanut butter worked like a charm.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Vegan Protein Shake

This shake is one of my favorite breakfasts for crazy mornings with even crazier toddlers.

Super simple -- toss everything in a blender, and with 20 grams of protein, its sure to keep you full.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Vegan Protein Shake
Recipe from: Shannon, ikneadtobake

1 banana, frozen
1 c. almond milk
1 Tbsp. natural peanut butter
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 c. plain soy protein powder

Directions: Add all ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a cup and enjoy! It doesn't get easier than that my friends.

Shared HERE.