Sarah’s Rap: I am always looking for way to improve the nutritional value and reduce sugar content of the snacks and breakfasts which my kids consume. This recipe is their new favorite and a great replacement for the more sugar-laden store varieties of granola. Another bonus? When you bake it your house will smell so good, you’ll wish you could make it every day! Continue reading
Sarah’s Rap: One of my family’s favorite baked goods is pumpkin bread. I’ve been making it since I was a twelve year old girl with an early love of baking. I was given my first cookbook, a classic Betty Crocker, and spent the next few years working my way through the recipes. Out of all the things I made, the pumpkin bread recipe got the most use. We’ve tried various other recipes and box mixes over the years, but the classic Betty Crocker pumpkin bread recipe is still preferred by my family and always a hit with friends and co-workers.
Sadly I can’t eat this version any more, so over the last few years, I’ve tried many Paleo pumpkin bread recipes. I’ve never found one that tasted as good as our family favorite. So instead I set out to make my own based on that and I have to say that this year I finally nailed it. Continue reading
Sarah’s Rap: As promised in my last post for Fluffy Gluten-Free Pancakes, here is a Paleo version for those like me that cannot eat any grains. I played with different flours and found that a combination of almond and cassava flours made the best texture and flavor. Just like their GF cousin, these are also very thick and fluffy. As you can see, I like to pair one of these flapjacks with a pastured fried egg, nitrate-free bacon and veggies of some sort. Mmm mmm, and the best part – no need to wait for breakfast. This makes a delicious dinner as well!
Sarah’s Rap: I have become accustomed to breakfasts that consist of eggs, meat and vegetables, or even sometimes leftover dinner, but I can’t resist the occasional weekend treat of pancakes. Also, I have two small pancake-monsters in my house who clamor for pancakes on a regular basis. On weekends I make a triple batch and freeze them, so the monsters can get their fill during the week. My kids are big breakfast eaters and we feel good sending them off to school full of a wholesome breakfast consisting of one of these protein-packed pancakes, bacon and/or pastured egg and berries. While I eat a Paleo version of these pancakes, my kids prefer this gluten-free, dairy-free version. Never fear… I’ll post the Paleo recipe this week too.
Why gluten-and-dairy-free, you ask? Well, my oldest son is allergic to dairy, my youngest is lactose intolerant and both do better without a lot of wheat and sugar in their diets (and really, don’t we all!?) My oldest son, for example, has shown drastic improvements in mood, focus and skin clarity by cutting way back on both. Continue reading
Sarah’s Rap: Apparently I’m in a mood to bake this week (which is definitely not an unusual phenomenon), so thought I’d share another of my go-to recipes with you. I recently wrote a post about my Paleo Blueberry Muffins, which I have baked at least 4 times over the last two weeks, sharing it with friends and family. I even made a batch and baked it in a 13×9″ cake pan and it turned out fabulous! Another favorite in our household is my Paleo Banana Muffin and Bread recipe.
I was typing it up today to send to Melissa at her request, as I made it the other day for her while I’m here visiting. Yup, you heard me right! The Sister Rap sisters are reunited for the first time in almost a year. I’m so thankful to be visiting while she has her post-mastectomy reconstructive surgery and my mom is also having a surgery. Otherwise I’d be a country apart, fretting. Now that I’m here, I do what I always do when I want to take care of someone – I bake for them! Continue reading
Sarah’s Rap: I adore blueberry muffins, particularly warm from the oven when the blueberries burst when you bite them. In this Paleo version, almond flour and coconut oil come together with eggs, sweet dates, wild blueberries and vanilla to form a luscious treat for the senses. My kids, who are extremely picky about texture, vote “thumbs-up” on this recipe. I made a batch the other day so that my kids would have a healthy snack alternative after school. My son informed me this morning that he ate 5 yesterday! Five! I consider that a success in the mom-approved snack department! Once I finished patting myself on the back, I realized that I may need to put these under lock and key. Although these are chock full of healthy ingredients, that’s quite a few almonds to consume in one day, even for an active twelve year old. 🙂
“I found my thrill on Blueberry Hill” ~ Fats Domino
I’ve included two optional crumb topping recipes that can be put on these muffins before baking. A gluten-free (non-Paleo) topping that includes oats and maple sugar and a Paleo topping made with coconut sugar, chopped pecans and cinnamon. Pick your poison, do half-and-half or skip the toppings all-together and enjoy the pure unadulterated goodness of freshly baked blueberry muffins without any guilt!
Sarah’s Rap: I have to fess up. I have a major addiction. Well… two addictions. Okay, okay, maybe a few more than two, but that’s all I’m going to fess up to now! What two you ask? Well, chocolate is one and muffins are the other. I love them both dearly and these are two things I cannot give up.
Now that I eat a Paleo diet out of necessity, my muffin recipes have changed, but they are close to consistency and flavor of traditional muffins and I find them incredibly satisfying. I recently developed this recipe for Paleo Chocolate (Carob) Muffins and am eager to share it! Continue reading
The Sister Rap 