This past weekend on Friday night we decided to visit our new property and take Grey camping on site! I purchased the hubs a blackout tent for Christmas and wanted to try it out before braving the true wilderness with a toddler.

I'm happy to report we all had a BLAST, invited some friends to boot and cooked our dinner, dessert and sunrise breakfast over an open flame.

Returning home smelling of smoke and the outdoors, we were craving a more fanciful breakfast come Sunday. We whipped up these little scrumptious Veggie Loaded Baked Egg Bites with some vegetables and fresh OJ and it was just the perfect return back into home life. 

INGREDIENTS:
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• avocado oil cooking spray
• 9 large organic eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoons thawed frozen kale, drained
• 3 tbsp diced organic tomatoes
• 3 tbsp diced onion
• 3 tbsp diced bell pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Preheat the oven to 350F.
  
• Spray muffin tin with avocado oil cooking spray.
• In a large bowl whisk the eggs and season with salt and pepper.
  
• Mix in kale, tomatoes, onion and bell pepper. 
• Fill muffin tin cups and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until set.
• Serve with fresh juice, vegetables or breakfast sausage. 

These recipes are comforting, fall inspired and healthy. Enjoyable any time of year, these gluten-free and dairy-free (and most paleo!) meals are a way to bake something just for you or to enjoy utilizing your Thanksgiving leftover ingredients.

​Whip up these breakfasts before hitting the sales on Friday or over a lazy weekend morning recovering from the hustle and bustle of the holiday. 

One of my most popular recipes this time of year, my Glazed Maple Donuts are warm, soft with a hint of sweetness and the warmth of fall. 

Get the full recipe here. 

​This breakfast Turkey Hash is hearty, warm and filling. Lemons For Lulu packed it with nutrient dense vegetables such as brussel sprouts and mushrooms. A great weekend meal choice as a way to use your leftovers!

Get the full recipe here. 

I knew I had to include these by Tastes Lovely after I saw you guys' love of belgian waffles. My Paleo Belgian waffles are a treat for anytime but these add a favorite flavor of fall - pumpkin! 

Click here for the full recipe for Crispy Paleo Pumpkin Waffles
Click here for my Paleo Belgian Waffles. 

Laura Fuentes gives us an original, gluten free AND paleo versions of her Glazed Pumpkin Scones. A super easy breakfast to wrap up in the  morning with a  mug of hot coffee or tea to hit the shops, it's warm, comforting and the perfect taste of fall.

Get the full recipe here. 

Laura of Joy Food Sunshine gives us a genius way to leftover holiday veggies while still getting a treat. These Paleo Zucchini cookies are also a great  way to sneak veggies into the kiddos. Like my Carrot Zucchini muffins, these breakfast cookies are toddler and kid friendly! 

Get the full recipe for her cookies here.
​Get the full recipe for my muffins here. 

This morning I woke up wanting to whip up something special with my little guy for breakfast and thought I'd bake a batch of my Double Chocolate Cake Donuts. That was, until I saw that we were out of cocoa powder and chocolate chips. 

So, like any resourceful baker, I perused the ingredients I DID have and came up with an alternative that my toddler was all too happy to gobble right up. Because what almost two year old doesn't like sugar, maple or donut shaped foods? I haven't met one yet. 

This donut starts with the same base as my Powdered Blueberry Donuts, minus the berries of course, and is then dipped in sweet confection of confectioner's sugar and maple syrup. This isn't one of my healthiest recipes, but it remains gluten-free and vegan. 

This is definitely a once in a while weekend treat and the perfect nosh for a traditional donut craving. 

A note* - The maple syrup in this glaze is SUBTLE due to using high quality maple syrup. If you're wanting a stronger, more traditional maple donut flavor you will need to add 1-3 drops of Maple Extract. I wanted to keep these more pure and didn't have the extract on hand when I decided to whip these up on a whim, but I may do so in the future if I were make these for a brunch or for others. 

Donut Ingredients:
Makes 12 Donuts

Dry: 
2  c. Gluten-Free Flour (I used Bob's Red MIll 1-to-1)
1 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2  tsp. Sea Salt
2  tsp. Cinnamon

Wet: 
1/2 C. Maple Syrup
1/2 C. Dairy-Free Milk of Choice (I use unsweetened almond milk)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
6 TBSP. Avocado Oil (Coconut or Grapeseed Oil would also work)

Maple Glaze Ingredients:
3 C. Confectioners Sugar (The brand I get is here) 
2 1/2 tsp. Maple Syrup
1-3 Drops Maple Extract
1/4 tsp. vanilla 
1/3 c. Water 

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your donut pans with coconut oil lightly. 

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet ingredients into medium bowl with dry ingredients. 

Using a piping bag, ziploc bag or spoon, fill donut pan rings 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. 

Prepare your maple glaze by mixing all ingredients in a bowl and set aside. 

Cool donuts completely before dipping in Maple Glaze. 

This is an improved upon recipe to my former Double Chocolate Cake Donuts. While that recipe still works well for small batches, this new recipe makes a dozen and produces fluffier, moister donuts. 

I also give my recommendations below for the best dye-free sprinkles and frostings on the market. 

I'm currently on Day 25 of a Proverbs 31 study that is life changing. 

It's amazing what God will do when you ASK him to move in and help change your heart, your mind and how you live your day to day life.

I've been feeling "less-than" in so many areas since becoming a mama, and I've really needed to call on him and let him take over. I've wanted to improve how I take care of my home, how I love my husband, how I mother our son, how I pour into my relationships and serve others and how I go about my work. 

The Proverbs 31 woman always intimidated me, but by doing my current study (with the book Becoming The Woman God Wants Me To Be) I see now I don't need to be perfect. I just need to be OPEN to allowing God to motivate me. Strengthen me. And empower me to improve in all areas of my life. 

Just twenty-five days in, I'm feeling the challenges. The changes in my heart. Some things have not come easy, but I do feel a higher sense of peace. Of joy. To get up each day. To care for my home and our little family. And that is what is so life changing. When you align your hopes and actions and daily tasks with God, even the tiniest mundane things can feel joyous and purposeful. 

One of my goals was to get BACK into the kitchen like I use to and create healthy recipes for my boys. These Carrot Zucchini Muffins were a hit this morning and we have leftovers to munch on through the week! 

April is one of my favorite months of the year.

The weather is perfect, we can spend our mornings and afternoons outdoors basking in the glorious sunshine.
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With this being my first spring as a mama, I have made a list of all the fun outdoor activities I want to participate in with my husband and little man before the excessive heat warnings of our city return come May. From the zoo to leisurely picnics in the park, outdoor shopping trips and patio brunches, it’s important to have healthy snacks with us while we are out on our adventures.

I started really getting into baking, and primarily Paleo baking, when I was pregnant with Grey and I actually dreamed of this recipe before I got into the kitchen to make it a reality. In addition to the weather, I love that spring and summer brings about colorful berries and I love experimenting with them in new ways.

My Blackberry Almond Muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free and soy-free. 

Get the recipe here, featured on the West Valley Moms Blog. 

​gluten free - dairy free - vegan - nut free - yeast free - soy free - egg free

I've been thinking a lot about childhood lately. 

I love seeing the world through Grey's eyes. How he lights up at every little thing. How the simplest joys make him laugh those beautiful deep baby belly laughs. It all got me thinking about my childhood. Joy. Innocence. Peace. Playfulness. 

I adored my childhood. I was blessed to have attentive, loving parents, a mom who stayed home with us and a dad who worked so hard for us but then gave his all on evenings and weekends. I want to make a happy home for Grey to thrive and feel like his imagination can soar to heights greater than I could imagine. And I want to go on that incredible journey once again, this time, letting him take the reigns and just really let him be little and be uniquely him. 

(just took a quick break to let him chase me in his walker, emitting squeals of laughter)

See what I mean? Glorious. 

And reminiscing about my childhood got me thinking about the food of my childhood. 

Which got me thinking about comfort foods.

Which, of course, led to thinking about donuts. 

Which if you've hung around here since my pregnancy you can see it's become an obsession of mine to perfect the allergy-friendly donut. My Blueberry Powdered Sugar Donut, My Double Chocolate Donut and my Apple Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Donut are a few of my top recipes here at Nosh and Nurture, proving to me that other people have a love for the circular pastry as much as I do.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

One of my favorite donuts to get at the shoppe on weekend mornings with my dad was the Pink Frosted with Rainbow Sprinkles. Because it was colorful, girly, sweet and just made me happy. 

But, of course, loaded with yeast, gluten, sugar and dairy, (and God knows what else) these are no longer on my list of accessible morning breakfast items. So when weekends roll around and I find myself reminiscing of sweets of the past, I get my booty into the kitchen to try to create something that hints of days can by while meeting my nutrition seal of approval. 

And these babies (colored with freeze-dried strawberries) allowed me to visit a bygone era where sprinkles and pink stained confectioners sugar were the staples of a Saturday morning cartoon binge. 

I'm thinking of adding 10 or so more custom donut recipes to the blog (I have plans for an allergy-friendly Apple Fritter, A Maple Bar, a Cinnamon Roll and more) and then maybe turning them into a book. Not sure yet. Still feeling it out as I have another book on my 2017-2018 business plan that's been in the works for some time. That's all to say, enjoy them while they're here, as they may move into a little book home of their own one day. 

Would love your ideas on some others to recreate! What is YOUR favorite donut that you miss?

Ingredients: 

​Dry: 
1 c. Gluten-Free Flour (I used Bob's Red MIll 1-to-1)
1/2 tsp. Cream of Tartar
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
1 tsp. Cinnamon

Wet: 
1/4 C. Honey (Maple Syrup or Agave for vegan)
1/4 C. Dairy-Free Milk of Choice (I used Trader Joe's boxed Coconut Milk)
1 tsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
3 1/2 TBSP. Avocado Oil (Coconut or Grapeseed Oil would also work)

Frosting: 
1 C. Confectioners Sugar
1/2 C. Freeze Dried Strawberries, ground to dust
1 TBSP. dairy-free milk
Dye-Free Rainbow Sprinkles (I use India Tree) 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a donut pan with coconut oil lightly. (My donut pan makes 6 donuts, to make a full dozen you will need to double the mix)

In a small mixing bowl, mix together all wet ingredients.. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together dry ingredients. Slowly mix wet ingredients into medium bowl with dry ingredients. 

Using a piping bag, ziploc bag or spoon, fill donut pan rings 3/4 of the way. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes. Allow to cool in pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire rack. 

While the donuts are cooling prepare your frosting. Mix all ingredients and microwave for 30 seconds. 

Once the donuts are cooled completely (10-20 minutes total) Dip 2-4 times per donut to get a good, thick glaze and top generously with sprinkles. 

My baby is SIX MONTHS OLD. A half a year old. My goodness. It DOES fly. 

He is SO much fun right now and so far, it's my favorite stage. He plays with me, his laughs are infectious and he even tries to make ME laugh now. Which is the cutest thing ever. EVER. 

Since he is playing more on his own now, I've had more time to get into the kitchen and cook up some yummy stuff, which I want to share with all of you this season. This one is SUPER simple. SO simple, that I almost didn't put it on here, because, it's JUST eggs. But these are so yummy, and they are dolled up JUST a bit, so I thought, hey. Why not?

People are always asking me what I eat, and for a long time I only put my fancy, more elaborate recipes on the blog. But on the day to day I don't whip up batches of waffles or donuts (donuts are weekend food in my book) - I eat more simple and more clean. Eggs. Roasted veggies. Lean meats. And so this year I am going to start sharing ALL my good eats so that the blog can be more helpful when meal planning. 

A lot of my clients, readers and friends come here to make menus and I want you to have easy 5 minute options that are practical for the every day. So enjoy these SUPER simple 2 ingredient dairy-free cheesy eggs. 
​

Ingredients:

• 3 Organic Eggs
• 1/4 C. Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
• Sea Salt
• Cracked Black Pepper

Directions:

• Spray a small frying pan with olive or coconut oil spray and heat over medium
• Crack eggs into a bowl and scramble with a whisk
• Pour over heated pan and  cook until near desired texture
• In the last few moments, add in the Daiya cheese shreds so they get melty
• Serve and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper

and voila! Super easy, super yummy, I serve these with a side of veggies, green juice or sweet potato hash. 

You know when you get breakfast envy?

Like when you go to a restaurant and you order but then the person who you're dining with, their food arrives and it looks way better than your food and so you're a little sad inside.

That's how this omelette was born. 

Never a fan of green onions growing up and even into adulthood, my husband offered to make me an omelette one morning and it was the veggie we had on hand so I declined. I made myself my regular Paleo meal of scrambled eggs, sweet potato and bacon and felt like I had a rock star breakfast.

While cooking up his omelette he ran out of mozzarella and asked if he could use my Daiya mozzarella and once it was done and placed on his plate, I looked at my dish and looked at his and I knew I ordered wrong. Even though I was in my own kitchen.

And once I tasted it, it became a definite craving many weekends to follow, including this weekend. 

Who'd have known? There was a green onion fan deep down inside of me. It just needed to be in this yolky, cheesy breakfast creation. 

Ingredients:

• 3 Organic Eggs
• 1/4 C. Daiya Mozzarella Shreds
• 1/8 C. Chopped Green Onion
• Olive Oil Spray 

​Directions: 

• Spray frying pan with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. 
• Crack eggs and separate yolk from the white allowing the three egg whites to fall into pan.
• Place the three yolks on the left side of pan. 
• As it starts to cook, rotate the pan around so that the egg white covers the pan, ensuring full coverage to create your omelette. 
• Once whites have hardened, add in Daiya cheese, green onion and fold omelette over until cheese is melted. 
• Serve hot with shredded sweet potato, bacon or breakfast juice. 

So, you guys. I did a thing.

I've been feeling super under the weather. Me and the baby both have colds and I've been trying to come up with exciting ways to get my fruits and veggies in (and ok, I may have snuck a little chocolate into this one). I've also been looking for fun things to do in the house since we aren't going out in the cold right now so recipe planning was on the agenda in between naps today! 
​

I had won an amazing case of Zing Bars from them, and they were already my FAVORITE bar, so WIN for me! And I wanted to incorporate them in a bowl for a while. We also had bananas that needed to be used today and I always have an over abundance of gluten free oats in the house, so I started to brainstorm and my Banana Split Breakfast Oats were born. 

I used traditional Banana Split ingredients and put a healthy spin on it. No added sugar is used in the oats. The coconut cream is sugar free and aside from a little organic sugar in Zing Bars chocolate coating, the bars are sweetened with agave nectar. 
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