Summer and me have a love/hate thang. On the one hand we get swimming, beach days, staycations, all the popsicles we can take, celebrating our independence and sunshine into the late evening

On the other we get temps hitting 115. And all the bugs. 

So I’m all about making happier moments INDOORS when it’s positively scorching outside and getting into the kitchen with my little sous chef was a perfect summer activity.

He loved helped molding the BIGGEST cookie he's ever seen, helping me spread on the cream cheese frosting and placing the berries. When it came to the whip cream dollops, I think he ate more than he placed haha, but such is true with toddlers.

This recipe is extremely kid friendly from prep to enjoying a slice with a tall glass of icy lemonade and we will definitely be making again, fourth of July or not. 

Ingredients
​

• 12-16 oz GF/DF sugar cookie dough (refrigerated)
• 8 oz softened vegan cream cheese 
• 1/8 c sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• Vegan whipped topping (I use almond milk Reddi Whip) 
• 12 oz organic raspberries  2 c. organic blueberries 

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Open tube or pack of cookie dough and place on a lightly greased 12 inch pizza pan and roll or press into an even layered circle. (You may use a pie tin or large bowl to get a perfect circle)
• Bake cookie crust 11-12 minutes until lightly browned.
• Cool cookie completely. 
• Beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. 
• Scoop cream cheese mixture onto the cookie crust once cooled and spread it to the edges. 
• Use blueberries to outline the pizza and create the blue portion of the flag. 
• Use raspberries to create your flag stripes. 
• Use your vegan whipped cream to create dollops in between rows of raspberries.
• Keep in fridge until ready to serve.

One of my FAVORITE treats as a kid were Rice Krispy Treats. Gooey, sweet and ever-so-addicting, we didn't make them often because they'd get gobbled up in record speed. Surely, my parents didn't want me and my sister high on sugar as much as I don't want my kid zipping around all crazed on sweets. 

But today was another 105 degree day and I was blanking on any preschool lesson since I'm slowly putting together our Fall curriculum, so into the kitchen we went. Educational, I get content for the blog and we get a treat at the end. Sounded like a wonderful way to spend a Thursday to me. 

That, and I found patriotic straws in the drawer and BAM! these became a dessert for Labor Day that is this coming long weekend. 

If you are lacking star spangled straws, fear not, these babies are JUST as festive, beautiful and delicious sans prop. 

And in true Nosh and Nurture fashion these are not the Rice Krispy Treats of our youth. With Dandie's Marshmallows (not sponsored, just love these little things) the marshmallows are corn-free. The cereal I used is an organic brown rice variety that I picked up at Sprouts because I don't care for the additives and folic acid found in the popular mainstream white rice cereal traditionally used in these. 

I also used an organic coconut oil and vegan butter to get them to be ooey gooey and pure perfection. 

I can attest that the little ones will love these as much as I did as a kid. Grey even posed his perfect little hand in the photo and I had a proud food blogger mommy moment haha. He literally gets cuter every day. 

What was your favorite childhood treat and have you found a way to improve upon it now that you're an adult?

In celebration of #NationalWatermelonDay with WTRMLN WTR, these coconutty and creamy watermelon popsicles are perfect for a hot summer day for adults and kids alike. My little guy devours these and we love to enjoy them at home or by the pool. 

INGREDIENTS: 
1  +  1/4  cup  cup  fresh  watermelon  slices 
½  cup  WTRMLN  WTR   
½  cup  coconut  milk 

PREPARATION: 
Puree  1  cup  of  chopped  WTRMLN  slices  with  ½  cup  WTRMLN  WTR  and  pour  into  popsicle  molds  so  molds  are  2/3  full. 
Freeze  for  30  minutes  and  pour  chilled  coconut  milk  on  top  of  frozen  watermelon  blend. 
​Top  with  remaining  watermelon  slices  and  freeze  for  an  additional  30  minutes.  Rinse  molds  under  warm  water  to  release  popsicle, add dried or toasted coconut for crunch  and  enjoy  somewhere  near  a  pool  or  beach.    

​Our first Christmas with little Grey was pure sweetness.Enjoying going through all of his photos and still making our way through opening our Christmas packages, because, new parents and the activities apparently take a lot longer to accomplish, haha. 

And speaking of sweet, this pumpkin pie was the perfect finish to a delectable Paleo Christmas feast.

​Sweetened with maple syrup and warm coconut sugar, this gluten-free and vegan Pumpkin Pie tastes just the real thing. 

Ingredients

1 1/2 Cans Organic Pumpkin
1/8 C. Maple Syrup
1/8 C. Coconut Sugar
1/2 tsp. Sea Salt
2 1/2 TBSP. Tapioca Starch
1 TBSP. coconut oil
1/3 C. Coconut Cream 
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 tsp. Cinnamon
1/2 tsp. Ginger 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all ingrendients in a bowl with a hand mixer until smooth. 

Pour into premade or homemade gluten-free pie crust. (I use Wholly Wholesomes Gluten-Free crust)

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Allow to cool and put in fridge overnight to set.

Serve with coconut whip cream. 

Ingredients: 

9 tablespoons ground espresso beans
5 tablespoons coconut sugar 

Directions: 

• Brew fresh, strong coffee with 5 cups water and espresso. Transfer hot coffee to a cake pan or shallow bowl, add sugar and stir until dissolved. Taste coffee and add more sugar of desired. 

Enjoy a cube of this decadent cake with coffee in the morning, tea at night or as a mid-day snack. The sweetness comes from bananas and dates, while the richness comes from light coconut milk.

This treat is especially helpful to those of us in our last trimester of pregnancy, as the dates can help prepare our cervix for a smoother natural birth. 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup gluten-free oat flour
1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour 
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 very ripe bananas
4 ounces dates (about 8 large), pitted and roughly chopped
1/2 cup light coconut milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut


Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line an 8-inch square baking pan with parchment paper and set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cocoa, both flours, salt, cream of tartar and baking soda. Whisk thoroughly to eliminate any lumps. Set aside.
• Add bananas, dates, coconut milk, 2 tablespoons water and vanilla to a blender. Blend until dates are chopped very small and the mixture is thick and smooth, About two minutes.
• Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour in the banana mixture and fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined, taking care not to overwork the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top evenly with a spatula. Sprinkle coconut on top. Bake until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 45 minutes.
• Let the cake cool in the baking pan on a cooling rack for 5 minutes, then remove cake from the pan and cool completely. Peel the parchment paper off the cake and cut cake into small cubes for serving.
  
• Wrap any remaining cake tightly and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

These brownies work well with most diets if cocoa is tolerated. They are easy to make ahead of time and take on the go. 

This recipe relies on unsweetened applesauce and almond milk to provide the classic moist texture of traditional carrot cake in a vegan form.
​

Ingredients: 

Carrot Cake
2 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour (I use Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3 tablespoons egg replacer
2 cups light brown or coconut sugar
1 cup avocado or grapeseed oil
1 cup almond milk
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
3/4 pound carrots, finely grated (about 3 cups)
1 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1 cup seedless raisins

Frosting
12 tablespoons vegan butter
1 1/2 pound Daiya or soy cream cheese, cold
1 1/2 cup corn-free powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly grease three (9-inch) round cake pans; set aside.
• For the cake, put flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and egg replacer into a mixing bowl and whisk together to blend.
• Put sugar in a separate large mixing bowl and whisk in oil, almond milk and applesauce. When fully combined, add almond milk mixture to flour mixture and mix just until smooth. Stir in carrots, walnuts and raisins, then divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes, or until the center springs back gently when pressed. Remove from oven and transfer to racks to let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting. Beat margarine in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add cream cheese in pieces and mix until thoroughly blended. Slowly add sugar and vanilla and mix until blended. Increase mixer speed slightly and continue mixing for 2 to 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Cover and set aside until ready to use.
• Place a cake layer, bottom side up, on a cake plate or pedestal. Spoon one-quarter of the frosting onto the top and spread it evenly. Place a second cake layer, bottom side down, on top of the first, and spread with an equal amount of frosting. Place the final cake layer, bottom side down, on top of the others and frost the top and sides with remaining frosting. Cover and chill until ready to serve or set aside to let set for 30 minutes, then cut into slices and serve.

I’m currently snacking on these tangy little morsels as I type this. Crumbs trailing from my plate to the keyboard. And I don’t even care.​

And P.S. they are DE-LIGHTFUL with a mug of hot tea. It’s been quite rainy and overcast here in Arizona lately, so I’ve been trying to bake and cook up some sunny recipes to entice Spring to kick into full gear. I love this time of year, when it’s still a little cool and you can picnic and go hiking before the state turns into a 115 degree inferno.

It’s a funny story how I stumbled upon making these cookies. I was grocery shopping the other day and I came across an ADORABLE ceramic berry basket. It was a cheerful shade aqua blue, (one of the primary colors of my kitchen) and I had to have it. A total impulse buy. But when I got it home I realized I didn’t have any berries to put in it so I filled it with lemons. Lemons that had no set plan for where they would end up, as I’m usually not big on citrus. Squeezed over a grain-free chow mein dish perhaps? Added to a smoothie? And then, as I was up late writing last night I got an intense craving for COOKIES.

And the fruit had found it’s home. It took some experimenting as I turned my kitchen into cookie bake-off central. I used various flours to try to find the right combination and in the end my gluten-free oat flour took the cake… er, cookie.
​
The end result is a soft, zesty cookie that is naturally sweet with a citrus kick. If you like your cookies crunchy, pop them in the fridge to set for a while before enjoying.

INGREDIENTS
1 Cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour
3 Tbsp. Fresh Organic Lemon Juice
1 Tbsp. Fresh Organic Lemon Zest
¼ C. unsweetened coconut flakes
3 Tablespoons of softened dairy-free, soy-free butter
Dash of Sea Salt
½ Tsp. Baking Soda
1 Organic Egg (or flax egg for vegan)
¼ C. Raw Honey (I used Bee Free Apple Honey if you want to go vegan)
1 Tsp. Organic Vanilla


INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper. (This step is crucial because the cookies are thin!)

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well mixed. A spoon should suffice.

If batter is too thin, add more flour, although 1 C. was plenty for me.

Drop batter onto cookie sheet with a teaspoon and spread to make a circle. It should be thin but not to where the batter becomes transparent. You want them to be able to bake up a little in the center.

​Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden.

Let cool and gently remove from parchment with a spatula.
​
Enjoy soft from the oven or refrigerate for a crispy cookie.

This little beauty was my official entry to the Earth Balance Holiday Bake-Off 2015. I had never attempted a bundt cake before the bake-off, but felt ambitious. This spiced, flavorful cake came out moist, fluffy and perfect. It's perfect as dessert or a decadent breakfast with a mug of Crio Bru of coffee.

It's one of my most involved recipes, but well worth every moment.  It's also gluten-free, vegan, nut-free, soy-free and refined sugar free (except for the glaze, while optional, gives it an amazing rich, warm flavor) Serves 16. 

Ingredients:
Cake:
2 C. brown rice flour
2/3 C. potato starch
1/3 Cup tapioca starch
1 TBSP. baking powder
1 1/4 baking soda
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 C. coconut milk
1 tsp. lemon juice
3 TBSP. ground flax seed* (can be omitted, and use 3 eggs, if egg is eaten/tolerated) 
9 TBSP. water* (omit if eggs are used)
3/4 tsp. xanthan gum 
1/2 C. coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1/2 c. maple syrup  or bee-free apple honey
3 TBSP. apple juice
3/4 C. applesauce
2 C. apples, cored, peeled and diced. 
2 tsp. organic vanilla extract

Glaze:
1/3 C. Coconut Sugar
2/3 C. corn-free Confectioner's Sugar (I use Dandie's)
3 TBSP. Coconut Cream
3 TBSP. Earth Balance Soy-Free Butter
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract


​Directions: 
Preheat oven to 325 degree and grease bundt pan with vegan butter or oil generously. 

Whisk flours, xanthan gum, cinnamon, ginger, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt in a small bowl and set to side. If using flax eggs, prepare flax eggs by combining 1 TBSP. of ground flax seed with 3 TBSP. of water. Set aside for 15 minutes to gel. 

In a large bowl, mix Flax Eggs or regular eggs with coconut sugar and maple syrup until blended. Slowly add and mix on your lowest speed setting, applesauce, vanilla, apple juice, coconut milk, lemon juice and dry mixture. Do not over mix. Add in apples 1 cup at a time. Mix on low until coated. 

Slowly pour or spoon batter into prepared bundt pan. Place in oven for 50-55 minutes, not opening the oven for the first 45 minutes. Check for doneness with a toothpick. 

Remove from oven and allow to set for 10 minutes. Prepare the glaze by mixing all glaze ingredients in a small bowl until no lumps remain. Pour into small sauce pan and cook over medium-low until warmed. 

Remove cake and place on cooling rack over a sheet of parchment paper. Pipe on or spoon on glaze. Top with a dusting of confectioners sugar for presentation. Transport to cake plate once cooled. 

Enjoy within three days. May freeze up to two weeks.