beauty that moves

Cacao Chia Crispies (and a recipe page!)

Categorizing a blog is an overwhelming task. I'd love to dwindle my "categories" down to a manageable dozen or so topics. Surely writing about that many things will keep me busy. Currently my categories hover around 45. That is a crazy-huge number of topics to keep track of. 

To make it even more of a jumbled mess, for the last two years I've been terrible at even selecting a category when I publish a post. This means a good deal of my content here isn't easily searchable for you (or me). 

I love visiting blogs that have a pretty sidebar of graphic buttons that take you to a specific category - homemaking, thrifting, recipes, sewing, knitting, homeschool, etc. Those of you who do this are so helpful to the rest of us. I'm trying to set up a similar system but am having such a hard time carving out the necessary hours to refine and organize categories for over 1,000 posts. 

Someday (this year, fingers crossed) it will all be done, but not in the months of January or February as I had hoped. Those two months sure came and went quickly. 

For now, the very least I can do is begin a recipe page for you. I'll have a pretty clickable button on the sidebar when the rest of my posts have been organized, but in the meantime you can find a "Recipe" button on the tab menu at the top of my blog homepage. 

Because so many of my posts are difficult to locate, I'm sure a handful of recipes from the archives have not been unearthed. As I come across them I'll be sure to add them to the page.

Today, I'd love to share a yummy snack with you. 

Filled with chia seeds and raw cacao, these little treats are a good source of antioxidants, omega fatty acids, easily digestible protein, iron, magnesium, and fiber.

(Did you know cacao is a decent source of fiber? Yippee!)

Yummy, delightful, and so easy to make. 

 

Cacao Chia Crispies

A retired Whole Food Kitchen recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup nut or seed butter (almond, peanut, cashew, or sunflower)
• 2/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1/3 cup chia seeds
• 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (or cocoa powder)
• 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• pinch of sea salt
• 6 cups crisped brown rice cereal (not puffed rice)

 

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl cream together wet ingredients. Add the chia seeds, cacao, and salt. Blend until combined. Add the crisped rice and stir until evenly mixed. 
2. Form into 1 inch balls (optional - chill the dough for 30 minutes before forming balls, to firm up the mixture a bit).
3. Store in the refrigerator. 

 

Print Recipe - Cacao Chia Crispies

 

Happy cooking, friends!

A Meal for Paleo and Vegetarian Folks to Share

I was talking to a friend the other day who's family is eating Paleo these days and they were having Vegetarian friends for dinner the next night. Those two can be a tricky combination!

People who follow a Paleo way of eating typically do not eat beans, grains, or dairy. This sure does leave one grasping for the "meat" of a meal when Paleo and Vegetarian friends come together. 

I suggested to my friend a warming Carrot Ginger Soup for dinner with some type of savory (high protein) Paleo muffin or biscuit to go with it (I wouldn't use earth balance... perhaps coconut oil). And of course, a bountiful green salad, plus something yummy for dessert like berry smoothie treats, made so thick they should be eaten with a spoon.

It turns out my friend's daughter can't eat eggs (typically eaten in abundance by Paleos), so the biscuits would not be an option for them. She did however have the great idea of making tacos, two ways! Meat tacos for her family, bean tacos for their friends - with all the fixin's shared between them. Perfect! 

For today, I wanted to share with you the recipes that came to mind during that chat. Both are pulled from the Whole Food Kitchen archives, I hope you enjoy them!

Notes: My dessert recipe calls for the decadent addition of dark chocolate shavings, the particular chocolate I used is not considered strictly Paleo, but a little googling and you will find some that are if that is what you'd like. Also, my Carrot Ginger Soup calls for orange juice, something that Paleo enthusiasts would like to see fresh squeezed (yum!) and kept to a minimum at that. Just wanted to point those two things out.

 

Carrot Ginger Soup

serves 3-4

Ingredients:

•  2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
• 4 cups chopped, peeled carrots (about 10-12 carrots)
• 3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups orange juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for several minutes, until tender. Add ginger, sauté one minute more.
2. Add carrot, broth, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 25-30 minutes, or until carrots are tender. 
3. Add orange juice.  
4. Puree soup with an immersion blender or food processor. (If using blender or processor, small batches is important with hot soup.)
5. Check seasoning. Serve.

 

Frozen Raspberries and Dark Chocolate

serves 2

Ingredients:

• 2 cups frozen raspberries
• 2 - 4 tablespoons honey (depends on your preference)
• 3/4 - 1 1/4 cup almond milk (or other non-dairy milk)
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, grated 

Directions:

1. Place first three ingredients in the blender, starting with just 3/4 cup milk, cover.
2. Blend until pureed. 
3. You may need to stop and scrape down the blender sides, then blend again, a few times.
4. Add more milk, a little at a time as needed. The less you use, the thicker this dessert will be.
5. Layer into dessert glass with sprinkle of grated chocolate.  

 

Print Recipes

Carrot Ginger Soup 

Frozen Raspberries and Dark Chocolate

It might not seem easy or obvious, but with a little creativity there's always a way to break bread with friends, all the while keeping the whole table healthy, happy, and nourished.

Baked Fruit for Breakfast (and life in general)

Perhaps it was the intense energy of the election, I'm sure in part it was the hurricane... I've felt quiet lately. My parents are here for a few weeks and we're all trying as best we can to keep our completely home-based work and school life as we are used to. Other than that we'll enjoy Thanksgiving, hanging out, and I'm sure some hunting for dad and Adam. There was talk of fly fishing too (it's cold!). 

Along with drawing inward a little, I'm also feeling excited about the upcoming holidays! We haven't played Christmas music yet or watched holiday movies,  but there has been talk of both. This year we'll put our outside decorations up the weekend before Thanksgiving, an extra week or two of twinkly lights means an extra week or two of pretty. And happy.

I've done most of my shopping already (gifts aren't a huge focus for us so this was fairly simple), which leaves the height of the holiday season for the slower pace of handcrafting seasonal gifts and decor, and for spending extra time in the kitchen.

 

 

With the seasons turning and the holidays approaching, our appetites begin to change once again. Cold yogurt with fresh berries is replaced by baked fruit with vanilla nut cream sauce. Sauteed greens with a single egg is replaced by the heartier "two eggs scrambled with a slice of (our current favorite) toast, please." Cold months, warm foods.

Would you like to make some baked fruit for your breakfast?

 

Baked Fruit for Breakfast  (with Vanilla Nut Cream Sauce)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups sliced apples
• 2 cups frozen blueberries or cherries
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• hemp seed for sprinkling on top

 Directions:

 preheat oven to 350°

1. In a glass pie plate arrange fruit, toss with cinnamon. Drizzle with honey.
2. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
3. Serve, passing the hemp seed and Nut Cream Sauce at the table.

Nut Cream Sauce

Makes about 3 cups. Cut the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight then drained
• 1 cup dates (soaked first if dry)
• 1 1/2 cups water or almond milk

To make the sauce: Combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender and blend until smooth and creamy. May take a minute or so, scrape down sides if needed. The sauce will keep, refrigerated, for up to one week. 

 

Print:  Baked Fruit for Breakfast (with Vanilla Nut Cream Sauce)

 

 

Sunday felt so cold. As happy as my herbs looked in the gardens, I knew it was time to gather what was needed for winter use. This year I did a second planting of dill and cilantro, what a good idea that was! Into November we had plenty of both - all lush and green, loving the cooler temps and not rushing to seed. I will defintiely do that again next year. 

As it turned out, harvesting the herbs was perfect timing - nature had plans for a snowstorm this week! A classic nor'easter came our way yesterday afternoon, leaving several inches of snow across our state and other parts of the northeast.

If I may put in a request, Mother Nature... as pretty as the snow is, and as much as it truly hushed the day, please send only warmth and sunshine our way until those still without power and homes can get back on their feet. Thank you kindly. 

As much as I'm wishing for a storm reprieve, Scout is beside himself with the snow! Seeing a puppy experience their first snow is one of the funniest things. He wouldn't go out the door on his own, he just laid down once he took a look outside and did not budge a muscle. So I picked him up, carried him over the threshold and down the steps - then he immediately thought it was the best thing ever! Running, jumping, eating, sneezing... so cute and hysterical. Then we came back inside and he spent much of the afternoon sitting in front of the sliding glass door barking at the falling snow. Later in the evening Adam took him out for a game of snow-soccer as all of his beloved sticks were now buried. I think snow-soccer was such fun he's forgotten about those sticks... for now. 

I hope you don't mind, but as life and energy are what they are these days, I may drop into a little morning, noon and night rhythm for a bit. Perhaps sprinkled throughout regular posting - yes, that feels right for now. My shoulders just relaxed thinking about morning, noon and night. Such a favorite. 

cashew cardamom balls

The first cookbook I ever purchased was Laurel's Kitchen, I was sixteen years old at the time. Though I didn't really know how to cook back then, I very much wanted to. To create similar aromas in my own home that I so enjoyed while browsing the aisles of local natural food stores - what a delight that would be. 

It took a few years for me to gain skill and confidence in the kitchen, but the interest was there all along. 

At twenty years old I worked on an herb farm, sometimes in the kitchen where we prepared lunch for 100 guests each day, sometimes in the greenhouse or gift barn. One day, a co-worker made the crew chai tea on the wood stove of the farm kitchen. It was my first introduction to chai and the intoxicating aroma of spices within.

Milk and crushed spices simmered slowly, no water was used. Black tea steeped for several minutes toward the end, we sweetened the brew with honey. I was transported, and still recall the feeling twenty years later.

It really is all about the cardamom, yes? 

Ever since that day on the farm, I've held chai making and drinking as one of the most healing and soothing experiences to be found. Whenever I have the chance to make something with hints of the lovely chai experience, I'm intrigued. (Chai Rice Pudding, anyone?)

Recently I pulled Laurel's Kitchen from the shelf and began thumbing through, reminiscing about the simpler days of whole food eating. Remember those days?

The pages contain little to no mention of soaking, sprouting, avoiding, etc. There is a brief and interesting couple of paragraphs about phytic acid and oxalic acid - acknowledging the 'problem' with both in one breath, and putting the varied whole- foods eater at ease in the next breath.

Simpler times, for sure. Goodness those were the days. 

Stumbling upon a recipe that featured cardamom, I just had to get busy in the kitchen. A perfectly quick Sunday afternoon snack. As these things go, I reworked the recipe a bit (I'm a soaker now) and thought it yummy enough to share with you. 

 

Cashew Cardamom Balls

Adapted from Laurel's Kitchen

Makes about a dozen one inch balls. 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
• cardamom seeds from 3 pods - crushed in mortar and pestle (or 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon powdered)
• 1 cup dates, chopped
• finely grated zest of one orange
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dried coconut (optional - powder coconut in blender)

Directions:

1. Over medium-low heat, carefully toast cashews in a dry pan. Stir them often to avoid burning - you're looking to just dry them out a bit form the overnight soaking.

2. Add cashews, chopped dated, orange zest, crushed cardamom seeds, and vanilla to a food processor. Process until everything is minced very fine.Test a small amount to see if it will press together into a ball. If not quite there, process a little longer. Stop to scrape down the sides once or twice. In my processor this takes about 1 1/2 minutes. 

3. Place coconut on a plate. Form one inch balls of the date/nut mixture with clean hands and roll into the coconut, pressing to coat all sides. Enjoy!

 

Print Recipe - Download Cashew Cardamom Balls

 

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Now I must run to enjoy this blustery autumn day. Wishing the same for you!

cinnamon spiced butternut squash

We planted so many winter squash plants this year. They went in late, in the back garden, and as the season moved on I learned that garden didn't have nearly the amount of sunlight I originally thought. 

Those squash plants didn't do so well. (But the pumpkin patch right next to it did great, so who knows.) In all we harvest one acorn squash, one spaghetti squash, and two decent butternuts. A disappointing harvest, especially considering how well these types of veggies store. We were hoping for many winter meals from those plants. Oh well. At least the farmers in our area had better luck (or perhaps better skill) than we did. 

Over the weekend we found ourselves travelling down winding back country road in a nearby town that is known for orchards, berry patches, and farmstands. We found ourselves stopping here and there for some apple cider, autumn raspberries, apple fritters (!!), and then that one special place with the wicker laundry baskets filled with butternut squash - for $2 each! (That's a good price around here.)

Trying to be polite and leave a few for others, we picked up a half dozen of those beauties and made our way home. I think we should go back to that farm this weekend. I bet there are more, I'm sure others have gotten some for themselves... how many is too many?

I know come late February I will feel there is definitely such a thing as too much butternut, but right now - in the height of autumn - I just don't think too much butternut is possible.

 

 

Last night I roasted up the first squash of the year while the rain fell hard against the windows. It's such a simple thing to do really - peeled, chunks of squash with a good amount of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg and sea salt, a drizzle of melted coconut oil. Bake at 375° F for about 30-35 minutes. Gently stir half way through. Maybe a chopped clove of garlic added for the last 10 minutes. Delicious.

It's not really a recipe per say, but if you care to try make some for yourself:

Print -  Cinnamon Spiced Butternut Squash

Today we're at homeschool co-op, and the leftovers make for a tasty room temperature lunch with some chickpeas and a handful of fresh parsley from the garden. Don't you love how fantastic parsley is after everything else in the garden withers away? I think I'm a bit like parsley, tired and wilty in the heat of summer, refreshed and at my best in the cool of autumn. 

Here's to squeezing every last (crisp) drop from October.