carrot cake the healthy way

Preheat oven at 350 degrees and grease with coconut oil thoroughly a 9x13" cake pan

Mix thoroughly:
1/2 c avocado oil
1 c coconut sugar or unprocessed sugar
6 eggs
1 c unsweetened alternative milk (almond, oat etc)
2 tsp vanilla

Add slowly:
4 c almond flour
1 c coconut flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger or spice it up with 1 TB of fresh finely chopped ginger
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Fold in:
3 c carrots grated
1 c pecans or walnuts chopped
1/2 shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 c raisins

Bake for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from the middle of the cake.  The top should be a bit puffy and the cake should spring back when lightly pushed on in the center.

Let cool completely and then add frosting.

Cashew Cream Cheese Frosting
Soak 1 1/2 c raw cashews for 2-3 hours, drain, rinse and add to powerful blender with:
4 T melted coconut oil
3 T local honey
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp kosher salt
4-8 T water...add as needed for blending

Refrigerate frosting for 1-2 hours and then frost the cake....refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.
Option to add chopped nuts sprinkled on top.....cover with foil not saran wrap so covering does not stick to the frosting!

This cake is delicious and pretty darn healthy for a sweet tooth!! 

ENJOY!!

Created from google search by Char

banana bread blender style

Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

In a blender, place:

2 c oats
2 large ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1 c whole milk (grass-fed ideally) yogurt
2-3 T local honey
1 1/2 tsp aluminum free baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

Blend 2-3 minutes.

Stir in any combo of 1/2 c of dark choc chips, blueberries, raspberries, dried raisins, nut of choice.

In a greased square pan or pie pan or bread pan, place the banana mixture.  Depending on the depth of the pan will determine how long it will take to bake.  Check after 15 minutes and every 5 after until a toothpick comes out clean!!

Enjoy with a cup of hot herbal tea!

created by Char & a googled recipe

roasted chicken

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Whole Chicken

Rinse, remove neck, giblets etc and save for making broth later

Dry the chicken with paper towels

On the inside of the chicken, place the following:

1 lemon cut in half (plus 2 more lemons for basting while roasting)

4-6 sprigs of thyme, rosemary, sage

2 garlic cloves smashed (skin and all)
1 shallot quartered

Rub the outside of the chicken with 2 TB of olive oil or fave oil

Sprinkle with your favorite seasoning such as: Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning OR Trader Joe's Everything Seasoning OR your fave spice OR simply salt & pepper

Place chicken in a roasting pan breast side up (cast iron skillet, stone pan, oven safe glass dish or cake pan)

Roast chicken at 425 for 20 minutes (uncovered!) and then turn the oven down to 375 degrees.  Also place a meat thermometer into the meaty area of a breast by sliding it at a diagonal and NOT touching any bone.  Every 15 minutes, baste the chicken with it's own broth and squeeze a half of fresh lemon over it.  Roast until your thermometer reads 165 degrees.  Roasting my take 45-60 minutes depending on the size of your chix.  Remove from the oven and rest for 20 minutes with a piece of foil draped loosely over the pan.

Enjoy with mashed potatoes or cauliflower & fresh steamed broccoli.  

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Soup prep:

After dinner, pick all the chicken remaining on the bones and set aside.  Save the drippings from the pan, all bones (carcass), neck, giblets and place in a large pot.  Cover the bones, scraped drippings from roasting pan etc with fresh water, cover and place on medium high heat.  When it comes to a boil, turn down to simmer and let the magic happen for a couple hours.  Strain the broth, throw away carcass etc.  Cool and refrigerate broth overnight.  The next day, skim the fat off the broth.  Broth can be used for soup or whatever your heart desires.

created by Char

breakfast oats

Kickstart your day with a nutritious bowl of oats & such.....

For 1 serving:
1 c oat milk or fave alternative OR water

Bring to a boil & then slowly add:
1/2 c Organic Old Fashioned Oats (6 g protein)
1 TB Organic Chia Seeds (optional) (3 g protein)
few organic golden raisins (optional)
1 TB shredded unsweetened coconut (optional)

Stir, cover & simmer for 3-5 mins.  Cook until oats are tender but not mushy.

Add:
1/4 fresh organic blueberries or any berries or fruit of choice
1/2 banana sliced
garnish with shredded coconut
local honey drizzled if desired for sweetener
Optional: small slab or organic butter, drizzle of extra liquid, soft boiled or poached egg (added protein-skip fruit if going this route) & whatever else your heart desires

I believe in feeding myself with organic ingredients whenever available!  If you feel you do not want or can purchase with this mindset, be sure to thoroughly clean your fresh ingredients....actually organic & non-organic warrant a good washing!!

Enjoy & Bon Appetit!!

NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST!

created by Char

Loaded Veggie Soup

If you desire meat, 2 lbs of lean beef chunks cut into small bite size pieces1 large onion coarsely chopped

4 garlic cloves minced or finely chopped

Add to a pot or crock pot, cover and slowly cook until fork tender

Crockpot: 3-4 hours on high 

On Stove: 2 1/2-3 1/2 hours on simmer

Oven: 2 1/2 - 3 1/2 on 325 degrees

Pour all into a glass container and place in freezer to let the fat rise to the top. It may take about an hour. (To speed this process up, add a few ice cubes and watch the fat rise quicker!!) Skim all fat off the top and dispose. 

(Ok to use lean ground beef, turkey or lean meat of choice or skip completely-add 3 extra c of veggies to replace meat)

While waiting on the skimming phase, prepare veggies:

2 c of diced white or sweet potatoes (leave skin on for extra vitamins)

1 c fresh corn 

1 c 2” fresh green beans 

1 c carrots sliced

1 c celery sliced

Large can of diced tomatoes

1 medium onion chopped

2-4 garlic cloves minced

1/2 c coarsely chopped parsley

3 rosemary whole stalks

4-5 thyme whole sprigs

4 cups of beef broth or bone broth or veggie 

(Other optional veggies: peas, squash (leave the skin on!), yellow beans, snap peas, snow peas, drop spinach or kale in at last few minutes and on and on...stay fresh and all will be 👍)

Simmer for 3-4 hours on low. This is a great crockpot meal and a quicker meal in an Instapot. Each phase is worth the effort and leftovers are great to freeze!

Enjoy to the last bite!

Bon Appetit💜

created by Char

Chowder for your Soul

Large pot

2 T coconut oil, grape seed or avocado oil

1 large red or white onion chopped

3 celery stalks coarsely chopped

4 carrots sliced

3 garlic cloves minced

1 green pepper chopped

1 jalapeño finely chopped

Sauté for 5 mins

Add:

2 tsp turmeric

2 c veggie or chicken broth (or bone broth)

1 lb of ground turkey, chicken, lean meat or seafood desired (ok to put in raw)

4 red or white potatoes (or sweet pot or squash) cut in small bite size pieces

1 1/2 -2 c fresh uncooked corn or frozen

Add:  

4 c of oat milk, or fave alternative or milk 

3 T chopped fresh parsley

6 thyme sticks

2 rosemary stalks

Salt & pepper to taste

Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes are fork tender! 

Enjoy the warmth and sense of calm each bite gives you!

Bon Appetit💜

created by Char

beef bourguignon

preheat oven to 235 degrees (yes very low----it's a slow cooking journey to deliciousness!)

• 3 lbs beef stew meat, chunked and dried
• 2 T oil of choice to brown the meat (I use ghee or coconut oil-an oil to withstand high heat)

• put the oil in a hot heavy skillet that can go in the oven with a cover and brown the meat
• after meat browns, pour 2 T cooking sherry (if desired) over the meat

• strain the meat to a side plate or dish to rest

• in the browning pan with drippings & broth, place the following:
• 1 T tomato paste
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 18-24 pearl onions or 1 large onion chunked 

• add 3 T gluten free or all purpose flour and coat onions

• add:
• 1 c red wine
• 2 c beef bone broth or low sodium broth
• 1-2 bay leaves
• 6-8 stalks of fresh thyme
• 1 lb of favorite mushrooms chunked

• check the meat every 30 minutes and add 1/4 c of broth or wine as needed 

Meat should be fork tender when ready! Season with salt & pepper to desired taste.
Serve with mashed potatoes or polenta or fresh piping hot bread and sprinkle with fresh parsley...enjoy!

version of Julia Child's famous recipe