I baked these tasty muffins up after discovering that we had too many ripe strawberries & bananas lingering in the house. I used my favourite recipe for Chocolate Chip Banana Coconut muffins {previous posted} as the base, with a few adjustments. They turned out super moist and even our picky-eater 4 year old devoured them!

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or a touch more for even more moistness)
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup mash ripe strawberries
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas

Directions
1. In a medium size bowl, combine egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Microwave for 20 seconds & let sit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Measure out your coconut oil & melt it.
4. Add the melted coconut oil to the bowl of other wet ingredients. Mix well with a whisk.
5. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
6. Fold in bananas and strawberries. Mix well.
7. Fill parchment paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.

These are easy and great to freeze! I made three batches the one day {not even kidding about having too many strawberries & bananas} and froze most of them for future snack times. Grab a couple from the freezer on your way out the door, to some fun summer adventures! Enjoy!

Two things you need to know about this recipe: 1) I adore SOFT marshmallow squares & this recipe fully embraces that, and 2) It contains nuts. If you’re OK with those two features, then take a peek, try it out and enjoy!

Ingredients:

•  8 tbsp (1/2 cup) butter
• 5-6 cups of mini white marshmallows
• 1/2 cup peanut butter (crunchy or smooth)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla
• 6 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• multicolored mini marshmallows (I just eye balled this, but at least 1 cup)
• optional: colorful sprinkles for the holidays

I do two things to prep:

1. Measure out all the Rice Krispies cereal into a large bowl & set aside
2. Rub a bit of butter on inside of my 9″x 12″ glass Pyrex dish & set aside

1.  In a large pot, melt the butter on medium heat, stirring frequently.
2.  Add all the white marshmallows, stirring constantly.
3.  As the marshmallows begin to melt, add in the peanut butter and vanilla & continue to stir.
4. Remove from heat BEFORE all the marshmallows have melted.
5. Working quickly, pour the Rice Krispies cereal into the melted marshmallows. Stir. Add in the multi-colored marshmallows (optional: add sprinkles at this time). Stir until fully mixed.
6. Pour mixture into 9″ x 12″ glass dish
7. Using a plastic spatula, press mixture into dish, spreading evenly.
8. Let cool.
9. Cut up into squares {and try not to eat them all in one sitting}!

Almond Butter Bread

500 ml smooth organic almond butter (we buy ours at Community Natural, but it’s also available at general grocery stores)

6 large eggs (or 5 extra large eggs)

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup warm water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Butter small loaf pan, 8″ x 4″ (be quite generous with your butter so the bread will pop out easily)
3. Place almond butter in bowl & mix well until almond butter is smooth
4. Add baking powder & salt and mix well again
5. Add eggs and hand whip with a fork until, you guess it, mixed well
6. Add warm water and mix until nice & smooth
7. Pour batter into loaf pan (it will be quite full, but don’t worry)
8. Bake for 50 minutes
9. Remove from loaf pan and cool on rack
10. Slice and enjoy!

We’ve tried adding tasty bits like raisins and nuts to the batter before baking. It’s yummy, but they do tend to settle to the bottom of the bread. Maybe you could drop some raisins in part way through the baking process? Haven’t experimented with that too much. If you’re looking to toast it, keep in mind that it burns a little more quickly than normal bread, so turn down the heat on your toaster a bit. Also, the bread is a touch bland, but that’s why it works so well with whatever you decide to spread on it!

This week, I think I’m going to venture into actual bread making. We picked up some lovely Red Fife flour from Country Thyme Farm. Confession: I’ve never actually made bread before. Working with yeast makes me nervous. It’s why we don’t have homemade cinnamon buns in the house, no matter how much I love the smell of fresh baked bread. Hoping to change that in the coming weeks. Wish me luck! Even if I pull off “real” bread, I’ll still be making this tasty Almond Butter Bread for hubby & myself to nibble on.

Hope you’re all enjoying a lovely Easter weekend! He IS risen! Let us rejoice!

Hope you are all enjoying the weekend, so far! Wishing you much sunshine, thawing gardens, & puddles for splashing (and perhaps a nice long nap too)!

This has not been the case. I found some helpful, easy tips online about substituting coconut oil for vegetable/canola oil & shortening. I also embraced the fact that things might not turn out “right” the first time. Armed with that attitude and determined to commit to the switch, I dove in. I started substituting coconut oil in my baking in the fall, and so far, there hasn’t really been a fail recipe. So today, I want to share some of the tasty things Sammy & I have been eating (hubby is low-carb, so he skips most of these treats… being low-carb is quite a big eating habit change, one that I’m not mentally or emotionally capable of committing to, yet).

First off, you might ask, why coconut oil? It’s not locally grown or made and travels large distances to get onto my pantry shelf. This is one of those instances where healthy outweighs buying local, that is, until we have our own dairy cow & can make enough butter to keep our household happy without breaking the bank. For hubby, who believes in low-carb eating, the fat in coconut oil is not something to be scared of, but embraced. You can find plenty of info and ugly videos on just how disgusting vegetable & canola oil is. With the limited time we have on this earth, I’d much rather put yummy organic coconut oil in my body than that stuff! Don’t get me wrong, we LOVE butter at our house and have been trying to purchase butter from pasture-raised, grass-fed dairy. Simply put, it’s expensive, especially in the quantities we already use. The good quality milk to make the butter is pricey too. Again, I dream of days when we have buckets of milk from our own dairy cow to make yummy, healthy butter.

So let’s check out some of the tasty treats.

We’ve made yummy pancakes, waffles, even Sammy’s birthday cake. Some of these were done with a box mix for dry ingredients (hey, I didn’t say we were perfect). Homemade biscuits are great with that touch of coconut taste. And we’ve made lots & lots of muffins! Coconut oil in muffins has been a delightful discovery. Try it! Another wonderful recipe find has been Coconut Crack Bars. They’re a super snack at our house now, that even Sam loves! I even figured out a low-carb version for hubby (skip the agave syrup & salt, increase the coconut oil, melt some of the coconut oil beforehand and add some lime juice). And who can forget THE best gingerbread cookies I’ve ever made!?! Yep, for Christmas this year, I stuck to my commitment to avoid shortening and made my mom’s gingerbread cookie recipe with coconut oil. Best batch I’ve ever made! Seriously. That officially ended my fear of substituting coconut oil into my fave recipes.

By the way, frying some veggies (like kale & chard) and meats (like beef) in coconut can add a nice change in flavor. I sometimes put just a dab of it on cooked veggies before we serve them (so yummy on carrots). There’s a lot you can do with coconut oil!

Here’s our fave muffin recipe for you to try:

Banana Chocolate Chip Coconut Muffins

Ingredients
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (or a touch more for even more moistness)
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or more if you want)
• 1/2 cup finely shredded coconut (optional)

Directions
1. In a medium size bowl, combine egg, yogurt, and vanilla. Microwave for 20 seconds & let sit.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
3. Measure out your coconut oil & melt it.
4. Add the melted coconut oil to the bowl of other wet ingredients. Mix well with a whisk.
5. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
6. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips and optional shredded coconut.
7. Fill parchment paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full.
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
9. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to wire racks.

Tips For Baking With Coconut Oil

• To substitute coconut oil for vegetable oil, simply use the amount of oil called for in the recipe & then melt it. It’s a straight 1-1 substitution amount.
• To substitute coconut oil for shortening, reduce the amount of oil used by about 25% (for example, if the recipe calls for 1 cup of shortening, use 3/4 cups of coconut oil).
• To melt my coconut oil for baking recipes, I usually pop it into the microwave for 15 sec. The “experts” on coconut oil recommend a double boiler. If you use a microwave, just be very careful not to over heat. Coconut oil melts easily.
• Coconut oil has a lower smoke-point than vegetable oil, so keep that in mind if you’re frying it.
• The  most helpful thing to keep in mind, if you’re adding melted coconut to other wet ingredients in a recipe (like eggs & milk), make sure those ingredients are not straight-out-of-the-fridge cold. Start your baking by mixing together the cold wet ingredients, microwave them for 20 sec & let them sit while you organize everything else. This will ensure that when you add the melted coconut oil to the wet ingredients, the oil won’t start to cool & re-solidify right away. The first recipe I tried, I didn’t heed this advice & the dough never was a great consistency for mixing thoroughly.

Hope you enjoy experimenting with coconut oil! I’ll try to post some of the other recipes we use, like our homemade biscuits and gingerbread cookies, later this month.

Last month, I hosted a little get together for friends. There was lots of sweet treats and pretty decorations in pink & purple. Simple doilies, fresh carnations, and cute handmade details.

Instead of trying to make my own little chocolates, I picked up some tasty Bernard Callebaut chocolates. I turned pretty paper cupcake liners inside-out to make little bowls for them.

These tasty Cinnamon Heart Shortbread cookies were a hit with my tummy and I’ll be sure to make them again next year for Valentine’s Day. You can find the recipe for these here. The recipe calls for cinnamon extract, which isn’t something I typically keep with my baking supplies. I found something suitable at Micheal’s. Start by adding a tiny amount, and continue to add more bit by bit until you achieve the flavor you like.

To make some cute little bowls for the cinnamon heart candies, I just folded small circular paper doilies and taped the corners with washi tape (similar idea as these bowls made from paper plates).

These cookies were a super hit! I think I’ll have to make more of them soon, the very next time I have an excuse to serve super sweet sugar bombs! They’re really simple to make too. Sammy and I did these together (sort of). I dipped the wafer cookies in the melted white chocolate and Sam did some of the sprinkles (although mainly he waited for them to dry so he could get a bite or two). Find the recipe here.

And lastly, a little bit of festive decorating. These pretty hearts are made from crayons melted between wax paper. Two lessons learned while making these: First, make the crayon shavings small & don’t over do it. They turn out much better if you don’t use too many shavings. Second, keep the temperature on the iron low and press the wax paper between old tea towels (or t-shirts), otherwise you’ll end up with a very messy iron.

Have fun with all your baking and crafting, whatever the reason or season!

We had a lovely adventure the other weekend, spending a morning at the Solstice Berry Farm (only a 30min drive from our house).

We spent about two hours among these rows of Saskatoon berries. They have an incredible crop this year, so finding ripe berries to pick was easy-peasy. It just took a while to collect enough (Saskatoon berries are smaller than I thought).

The sun was shining, the canola fields were glowing, storm clouds were building and our little Sammy was teething. It was one of those good days that require a lot of extra patience in order to enjoy.

I’d never picked Saskatoon berries before, but we’ll definitely head out again. So tasty.

Once we got home, we got down to work. Hubby fired up the dehydrator, and I put together a Saskatoon & Rhubarb pie (which I promptly froze) and baked Saskatoon berry muffins (recipe from here).

Oh and there’s been some Christmas baking and lots of Christmas snacking these days too! My idea of a perfect morning at this time of year, is nibbling gingerbread cookies and sipping a coffee by the Christmas tree before the sun comes up. So peaceful! To cut down on a bit of the baking work, my mom and I made some cookies together and just shared the finished batch. Way less work than each of us making a batch. The two of us are a real hoot in the kitchen in right now! Between my “baby brain” and her “chemo brain”, we should probably have someone else supervise us. But the cookies turned out delicious in the end, so no harm done. Just lots of laughter and silliness. That’s really the best way to make cookies!

Compared to past years, I really didn’t do much Christmas “making”. At 36 weeks pregnant, I kinda knew that would be case. Hubby took on the role of Santa’s little helper and put together most of our gifts for family and friends. We usually try to do as many handmade items as possible, but again, I’m okay with simplifying that part this year. Still plenty of handmade goodness going on… just more nuts & preserves than sewn things. I DID manage to write up a ton of Christmas cards, which always seems important to us to do. So I can rest easier with that complete (sorry if some of these arrive late).

There’s been quite a bit of reflection these days too. My small family feels even smaller since my brother passed away. Although, it will grow soon enough. It’s amazing how much hope and joy and love this little babe can bring, and it’s not even born yet. Just wait until it comes into this world! And yes, it will be a sad day tomorrow, the first Christmas without Blake. Although we spent some Christmas days apart over the years, he always made an effort to video chat or call. So it will be strange tomorrow not to hear from him. Instead I’m trying to get used to hearing from him everyday, in my heart and memories.

Wishing you and your loved ones, a very special Christmas!

P.S. The beautiful photo above was taken by Mr. Scott Frank, close friend and talented photographer. He did an amazing photo shoot with Marcus and I recently to capture the three of us (baby belly included). The results are just so wonderful! It made such a huge difference, having a friend take these types of photos because he knew how to capture and bring out our personalities. So grateful to you, Scott! You can follow along some of the adventures in parenthood he and his wife Shauna are experiencing these days on their blog. And one day soon, hopefully, Scott will have an honest-to-goodness website for his photography and design business.