Elderberry Gummy Bears

I don’t know where you live, but here in North Texas, it went from summer to fall seemingly over night this past weekend! The winds came through, the cooler temperatures kissed our skin, and, unfortunately, the fall allergies rushed the field.

It is the best of times and the worst of times, this FALL, this AUTUMN! I absolutely love this season, but for some reason, it just does not love me back most of the time. I have definitely been feeling the effects and have some kiddos with some runny noses, too, so this morning, after I had my two school goers shuffled off to their school,  I decided to load up on artillery for the onslaught of the allergy season!

I started my morning by juicing some carrots, apples, and fresh ginger.

Then, I made some Elderberry Gummy Bears! If you haven’t read about the benefits of elderberry, they are abundant for this season. To list a few:

~ a very powerful antioxidant
~ anthocyanin levels make it anticarcinogenic
~ more vitamin C than oranges
~ antiviral
~high ORAC
~improves the coordination of the immune system

This article is worth the read and gives all the proper props to Elderberry!

Recipe:

1/2 cup Elderberry Concentrate
1/2 cup organic pomegranate juice
2 tablespoon organic lime juice
3 tablespoons grass-fed gelatin (I used Great Lakes, the orange bottle)

Simply mix all the ingredients together in a small sauce pan and then heat just to almost a boil/low boil and remove from heat. I like to let mine cool down for 5-10 minutes before transferring to my molds. Refrigerate until set.

You can use any silicone mold for these, or even a glass dish and then simply cut into squares. I found my bear molds on Amazon.com.

These are certainly the most expensive$ gummy bears I have ever made, but I know that my kiddos will be so happy to chomp these down, and I will be equally as happy knowing that they will be getting such great nutritional benefits from this healthful & protective treat.   ~Happy Fall~

Vanilla Pear Ice”Cream” {dairy-free, maple & fruit sweetened}

Vanilla Pear Ice” Cream”
3 organic pears
1/2 cup cashew meal
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Blend in high powered blender (I have a Vitamix) until smooth and creamy. To freeze, either use an ice cream maker, or transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze. 🙂  

Carrot Cake Bars with Dairy-Free “Cream Cheese” Frosting { grain-free, dairy-free, cane-sugar-free}

 

I LOVE carrot cake! I tried to come up with a cross between a carrot cake and a “bar” that would be packed with protein & quick and easy to serve the kids for breakfast or an after-school snack {and one that wasn’t too sweet or sugary, but rather nourishing and delicious!} Here is what we came up with:

Carrot Cake Bars:

1/2 cup cashews butter (you could use peanut, almond or even sunflower seed butter as well)
1/2 cup garfava bean flour
1 cup packed carrot shavings/fine shreds
1 tablespoon baking powder (I use Hain’s)
3 eggs, preferably pasture-raised
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup organic raisins

I made this batter in my food processor.  Simply shredded my carrots (about 5 small-medium sized organic carrots), then added the rest of my ingredients, adding the raisins in last and simply pulsing to incorporate.  Pour into a square baking dish (lightly greased). Bake at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes.

For the Frosting:
I rinsed out my vitamix from the batter and added to it…
1 1/4 cup of almond meal
1/4 cup + 1 Tablespoon of honey
4 teaspoons of organic lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)

Blend the ingredients on high until you have a creamy, frosting-like texture. You can also use Stevia if you prefer this over the honey. Just pulse with your favorite combination of sweetness and tartness, and thickness as well. You can reduce the liquid or increase the nutmeal to get a thicker consistency. 

Enjoy!

 

Coconut Flour Quick Bread

COCONUT FLOUR QUICK BREAD

Ingredients:
4 eggs

1/4 cup + 1 T coconut oil liquified (and cooled so as not to cook the eggs)

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Instructions:
I did this in my blender, first adding the eggs and blending for 20-30 seconds. Then, I added in the other ingredients and blended another 20-30 seconds. I let it sit for a few minutes while the oven preheated so the batter could thicken.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease small loaf pan with coconut oil – the one I used was a glass corningware,  8 x 5. Bake for about 35 min.