sweets

Autumn Bark

~ nourishedpeach ~ 5 Comments

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Happy Halloween Week!  It’s funny, I was never really a fan of this upcoming holiday until my kids came along.  But now, for me, it’s basically pure excitement.  It’s a fun excuse to dress my kids in hilarious outfits (please, just pray Jude allows me to put his costume on him for at least one photo.  one, thats the goal this year, just one little itty bitty photo is all i ask for.  pray friends, pray.)  Not to mention this holiday is perfectly placed among the most GORGEOUS time of year.  Crispy Autumn.  Ahh.

So on top of the costume thing and the beautiful time of year thing I’m pretty sure most of my excitement stems from the fact that it’s a perfectly wonderful opportunity to get fun and creative in the kitchen.  Holidays equal special food.  Always.  Continue reading →

Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk Cookies

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I’m in full recovery mode over here.  From a sleep-deprived, exhausting absolutely amazing weekend with family.  We headed down to my hometown in Iowa to celebrate something pretty darn major in my family.  My parents’ 50th wedding anniversary.  Can you handle it?  I can’t.  I can’t handle so much about it; how quickly time flies, how much they have accomplished in 50 years and, more than anything, how they define what marriage is all about.

I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you time and time again, friends, I am blessed to no end to have been brought up by these parents of mine.  Not because of how much they have done for me or how selfless of parents they are, but because of how they do it TOGETHER.  And so well.  Nick and I have enormous shoes to fill in that department; and from what my eyes have seen it all comes down to teamwork.  And empathy. And respect.  And simply learning that it isn’t all about ourselves and that it is okay to let things go and pick your battles-thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me all of these values by example.

So, needless to say, this weekend involved a lot of celebrating.  My five siblings, myself, spouses, 17 crazy-amazing grandchildren and some top notch aunts and uncles.  And as you are aware, in my family, celebrating and food tend to go hand in hand.  These Oatmeal Dark Chocolate Chunk cookies were one of my contributions to the  celebrating.  I’d say they were graciously accepted by all-there was not a morsel left of the double batch I made.   Continue reading →

Cinnamon Pear Sauce

~ nourishedpeach ~ 3 Comments

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So friends, as you may remember, I am a total fan of homemade applesauce.  It’s unbeatable…store bought varieties just don’t compare.  Not to mention when you make it homemade you’re not stripping away a ton of the nutrients through processing and preserving.  I’m just sold on the whole deal, especially considering how simple it is to prepare at home.

Now, theres a couple of kinds of food love, in my book.  Theres being a total fan, as I told you I was of the applesauce in the paragraph above.  And then theres Hallelujah, over the moon, this-is-out-of-control, party-don’t-stop food love.  This Cinnamon Pear Sauce?  I would classify it under the latter.   Continue reading →

Apple Streusel Bread

~ nourishedpeach ~ 6 Comments

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Summer is a favorite time of mine, as a reader, in the blogging world.  Regardless of what the blog focus is, at some point, writers tend to share some sort of piece of their summer family vacation and I positively love it.  It helps me get to know the writer and feel like a little part of their world-its so fun to get a glimpse into their personal lives beyond their everyday writing. Continue reading →

Grilled Banana Bread with Warm Maple Butter Sauce

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If you’re up for making a 10-minute, tops, start-to-finish- dessert that tastes simply decadent this ones for you.  I shared my new favorite method for getting a fun summer treat on the table in a flash on KARE11 yesterday and I must say it was quite the hit with the crew.  And let me tell you, my family definitely did not mind all of the practice rounds I did trying to get this recipe just right either.  I hope you enjoy this one…it’s such a yummy treat and perfect for entertaining; its quite the conversation piece!   Continue reading →

Nourished Banana Bread

~ nourishedpeach ~ 8 Comments

This is the good stuff, right here, friends. Our very favorite banana bread recipe. Now, I must warn you.  This recipe contains no refined sugar.  No gluten or crazy “healthy flour blend” that you need to go buy.  And chances are, if you utilize any of my “baking” recipes you already have all of these ingredients sitting right in your freezer or pantry-they are my baking “staples”.

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My kids beg for more. My friends are shocked that a sweet treat that’s typically packed full of unhealthful ingredients can actually be transformed into something they can feel good feeding their kiddos for breakfast.  This, right here friends, is why I love to cook.  Because it really is possible to turn traditional favorite recipes into more nourishing versions…and this banana bread recipe is the perfect display of just that. I hope your family enjoys this one as much as we do!

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Nourished Banana Bread

*note: you can purchase pre made oat flour, but it’s a piece of cake to make your own:  just place  rolled or old fashioned oats (gluten free for a GF version) in a food processor or blender and process until it becomes a fine, flour-like texture.

Ingredients

1 1/4 Cups Gluten Free Oat Flour

1/4 Cup Flax Meal

1/4 Cup Almond Meal

1 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

3 VERY Ripe Bananas, mashed *about 1 1/2 cups

6 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled +more for greasing the pan

1/4 Cup Honey, Pure Maple Syrup or Agave Nectar

2 Eggs, lightly beaten

1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan with butter.  Place the oat flour, flax meal, almond meal, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

In a large bowl whisk the bananas, honey/maple/agave, butter, eggs and vanilla together until well-combined.  Pour the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and stir gently until all ingredients are just incorporated.  Fold in walnuts. Pour into prepared baking pan (and sprinkle the top with whole oats, if desired) and bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before removing from the pan.

Chewy Granola Bars

~ nourishedpeach ~ 2 Comments

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I can always count on this blog when I’m in need of new inspiration…it simply never lets me down.  She is full of technique, passion and positively beautiful fare.  So when I saw this recipe for Chocolate Chunk Granola Bars I knew I had to give them a try.   Continue reading →

Coconut Almond Chocolates

~ nourishedpeach ~ 1 Comment

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If you are looking for the perfect Valentines Day gift to make this weekend these may be of interest to you.  They are so delicious…and much more nutritious than any other chocolates you could buy in store.  I positively love to give homemade gifts…theres nothing better than knowing that you put valid thought, care and effort into what you have done for someone you love.  They’re rich and decadent and so fun to give! Continue reading →