Joy, this is for you! :)

Here are two favorite dessert recipes that my kids LOVE!!! They are healthy options that are actually GOOD for you! Don't believe me??? Try it! And, then tell me what you think!

Carrot Cake
My friend Beth gave me this recipe which I know she found on the internet but I don't remember where...so if this is your recipe....SORRY! Feel free to comment here and let us know!
Makes 3 8-inch layers or a 9X13 pan

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup walnuts (I use my crispy nuts...Nourishing Traditions style)
1 1/2 cup peeled, grated carrots (3-4 large carrots)
3/4 cup crushed, unsweetend pineapple (fresh or canned in it's own juice)
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup agave nectar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour (I use spelt)
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.Line bottoms of cake pans with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat
3.Toast walnuts in preheated oven for about 10 minutes, then cool and chop coarsely with a knife or in a food processor
4. Peel and grate carrots to a medium grate
5. Drain the canned pineapple (reserve the juice for another use)
6. Combine the chopped nuts, grated carrots, pineapple, and raisins, and set aside
7. Sift the dry ingredients together
8. With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream the butter and agave nectar together until well blended.
9. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating the first egg before adding the second
10. On the lowest speed, stir in the dry ingredients
11. Fold the carrots mixture in by hand with a rubber or silicone spatula
12 Bake in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, depending on the pan size. The cake is done when it bounces back when touched lightly in the center.
13. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting

I don't use frosting at all unless it's for a birthday or special occasion...in which case I make a cream cheese frosting with all organic ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1 stick butter
1 box powdered sugar
2 tsp vanilla
melt butter and then beat all ingredients together.


I'll post my recipe for REAL FOOD CHOCOLATE BROWNIES later... I don't have time right now! But I promise...they taste awesome!

Menu Plan Monday

So, I've taken a break from menu planning lately and it's not doing me any favors. But I'm back in the saddle again, however, so here's my plan for the week!

Monday:
Breakfast: leftover soaked buttermilk spelt pancakes, bananas and peanut butter
Lunch: leftover chili, salad
Dinner: Ezekiel spaghetti with meat sauce, salad
To Do: Soak chick peas, soak quinoa, start spelt sourdough starter for pizza

Tuesday:
Breakfast: raw yogurt, berries, granola
Lunch: leftover spaghetti
Dinner: grilled white fish, quinoa salad with dried cherries, nuts, green salad
To Do: thaw turkey

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Soaked oatmeal with cinnamon and honey
Lunch: Homemade hummus with carrots and celery. Raw cheese, and sourdough bread
Dinner: Turkey and zucchini soup


Thursday:
Breakfast: eggs, Ezekiel toast with homemade butter
Lunch: soup
Dinner: Homemade soaked spelt pizza with tomatoes, feta, spinach, and calamata olives
To Do: thaw chicken

Friday:
Breakfast: Soaked porridge (combination of millet, amaranth, and quinoa)
Lunch: leftover whatever
Dinner: beef and wild rice, asparagus
To Do: Soak rice, roast chicken, thaw roast

Saturday:
Breakfast: Soaked buckwheat pancakes, turkey sausage, and eggs
Lunch: leftovers
Dinner: Chicken and chickpea curry over brown rice

Sunday:
Breakfast: leftover pancakes, bananas
Lunch: veggies, hummus, cheese
Dinner: pot roast, potatoes, carrots, onions, etc.

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

It's been so long since I've posted on here! It really is just because I'm busy and I don't post if I don't feel like it! :) Sorry to all of you who look on here often...all 3 of you! :0)
Anyway, I'm doing great. My kids are doing great. We're eating well, playing outside, doing tons (probably too many) of playdates, and I'm getting projects done around the house. I'm pretty determined not to get on the computer much during the day anymore, so I just don't have the time to write much.
Things have been going well for the boys and their skin until this week. It's so nice out and they've even worn shorts a couple times. Well, Abraham's legs are just super inflamed now...which I distinctly remember happening last year right about this time when he started to play outside. So, I'm pretty certain he's got some environmental allergies that I really can't do anything about. The only thing I have read is that people with environmental allergies should probably stay away from gluten and dairy even if they aren't necessarily allergic or sensitive to those things because they do produce a high level of mucus. During allergy season, this just should be avoided to help keep inflammation down as much as possible.
We'd actually been gradually adding dairy and gluten back in our diets on a rotating basis and the boys have seemed to handle it just fine. But, with this setback I'm afraid we're going to have to go back to square one! On the positive side, Eliot seems to be doing great! He's got a couple small patches, but overall his legs look amazing!
I haven't been quite as diligent about menu planning...I really need to for financial and health purposes. I will work on that and hopefully post a menu soon!