We are on a muffin kick lately! These Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins (paleo and grain-free) are SO easy, so warm and comforting in the cold winter months, freezable to re-heat on busy mornings and they help keep me on track with getting back into my paleo groove. I always find myself coming back to this diet when I need to lower inflammation, help out my cycle, prep for pregnancy, lower my intake of sugar (preach) or drop a couple of pounds. 

The last breakfast recipe I posted were my Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, so naturally, there is a paleo muffin thing happening in our home. 

Other muffin favorites lately have been my Carrot Zucchini Muffins, my Blackberry Almond Muffins and not techincally a muffin but my yeast-free cinnamon rolls keep showing up on the weekends ;)

This was my first time using a recipe with JUST cassava flour (I know, I'm so late to that game) - I've usually mixed it with other flours, but today I made a simple cassava muffin sweetened only with bananas and a dash of vegan chocolate chips.

In our taste test, I thought the family may find them to be not sweet enough but the consensus was that everyone approved and my toddler ate FOUR of them before lunchtime. 

So, they'll be hanging out on the meal plan long term.

Enjoy the recipe below and if you make a bunch, freeze some and invite me over for a warm mug of tea because I'm craving some girl time in my busy schedule and am always down for good convo and muffins.

Also! If you're wanting these completely refined-sugar free and fully paleo compliant, nix the chocolate chips and add some fresh or dried berries, nuts or raisins. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cassava Flour
• 1 tsp. Baking Soda
• 1/4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp. Cinnamon 
• 1/2 C. Chocolate Chips
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Ripe Bananas
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/3 C. Avocado Oil 

​Directions
​

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a muffin tin with parchment paper liners (you won't regret switching to these!) and gather your ingredients, a whisk, a rubber spatula and a large mixing bowl. 
• Place your two bananas in your bowl and mash until smooth.
• Add your eggs to your banana and whisk.
• Add in your avocado oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla. 
• Whisk together wet ingredients until well blended.
• Add in your cassava flour, baking powder, cinnamon and sea salt.
• Once all wet and dry ingredients are well blended, fold in your chocolate chips and any additional ingredients you are adding (nuts, berries, shaved coconut, raisins...)
• Fill your muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Enjoy warm and save the leftovers in the fridge for up to four days. You may freeze them and reheat for longer lasting muffins. 

As we entered into this new season of fall and a new home I wanted to move back into more Paleo breakfast options. I felt my energy starting to lag and cleaning up the diet with the removal of grains always helps me. I hadn't made many pumpkin dishes yet this year, so it was time, wasn't it? It. Was. Time.

Grey loved whipping these up in the kitchen with me and they were super simple to make. Moist, chocolaty with just the right hint of pumpkin and spice, we made an extra batch to have as breakfasts throughout a busy week. 

INGREDIENTS
​

• 1 3/4 C. almond flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1/2 c. nut or seed butter
• 1/4 c. pure maple syrup
• 1 c. canned pumpkin
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 c. dairy-free chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line your muffin pan with parchment cups or grease with avocado or coconut oil.
• In a medium bowl, whisk eggs, pumpkin, seed or nut butter, vanilla and syrup together.
• In a small bowl, mix almond flour, baking soda and spices. 
• Add your dry ingredients to your wet and fold in your chocolate chips. 
• Fill muffin cups 1/2-3/4 full and bake for 20 minutes or until your toothpick comes out clean when inserted. 
• Top with additional chocolate chips if desired and allow to cool before enjoying. 

​

What pumpkin recipes are you whipping up this season?

​Can everyday be Sunday?

There's something slower, something sweeter, simpler and more divine about Sundays.

Thankful God gave us this day of rest and holiness and beauty. We slept in (thank you Grey!) and made our way slowly,but hungrily, into the kitchen where my little one helped make fluffy, warm and sweet ooey gooey vegan cinnamon rolls from scratch.

More laborious than most of my other recipes, but so worth it. I would definitely mark them down in the treat column because it's one of the very, very few recipes where I used cane sugar, but they are gluten free, soy free, yeast free, corn free and completely vegan!

The trick to making buttermilk cinnamon rolls without the buttermilk? Lemon juice in coconut or almond cream! A trick I'm SO glad I learned early on. Have a blessed and happy Sunday with those you love.  
​

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:
​

• 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. 

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.
​
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.

Dry

• 2 cups gluten-free 1:1 flour blend
• ½ cup almond flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp sea salt

Wet

• 2 large eggs
• ⅓ cup avocado oil (or melted coconut oil)
• ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup
• ¼ cup coconut sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract

Fold In

• 1½ cups fresh blackberries
• ¼ cup sliced almonds

Optional Bakery Topping

• Extra sliced almonds
• Turbinado sugar for sprinkling 

​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.