apple pie

i am slightly addicted to making new CLEAN recipes now...

{probably because that is all i can eat...for the next 26 days (and seriously counting-but that's a whole different post)}  

after making paleo chocolate chip cookies for the fam i decided i needed something sweet too.  i came up with this apple pie type thing.  it is just what the doctor ordered for my sweet tooth.  but i must admit, i do feel like i cheated...even though i don't think i did.

makes 2 servings (maybe 3 or 4 if you stretched it)

ingredients:

• one apple
• 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 3-5 dates (i bet figs would be good too)
• water (eye ball this amount)

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350
2. put cashews and almonds in blender until crumbly to form the crust
3. line a small ramekin bowl (or some other bowl that can handle the oven) with the crust and gently press down
4. place apples on top
5. add a little bit of water
6. add a few cut up dates on top and even some cinnamon
7. i had some left over "crust" so i sprinkled a little on top...it was a bit too much when i actually ate it though (this is why you may have enough crust to make 3 or 4)
8. bake for about 20-25 minutes

ENJOY!!

xoxo

-R

cake pops

i finally decided i wanted to make cake pops...i've heard two sides and wanted to test it out:  

one: they are really hard and laborious to make

and...two: they are easy and delish!  

VERDICT IS IN:  they are easy AND delish!  this was our first "treat day tuesday" and the girls LOVED making them with me.

**P.S. did you see the crazy hubs photo bombing in the background?  he thought he was so funny

ingredients:

• cake mix and ingredients to make cake (i used betty crocker super moist devil's food)
• frosting
• candy wafers (i used vanilla)
• cake pop sticks
• sprinkles (or other decorating items)

steps:
1.  bake cake according to directions on the back and then let cool almost completely

 

2.  using CLEAN hands (of course) break the cake apart into small, ground up pieces (resembling dirt almost)-this part was clearly fun for lil boo.

 


3.  add a little bit of frosting to the mix and stir (but not too much frosting or it will be too wet-like).  i believe i put about one BIG spoonful.  
4.  then roll into small balls (please refrain from the gross comments of these-geesh, you think i was raising boys the way my girls were giggling).


 


5.  melt a little bit of the white chocolate wafers and then dip the sticks in the chocolate and gently place in the balls...about half way down (if you can figure out how far that is without seeing the inside-i may have goofed a bit on these, but it worked out in the end).
6.  put in the freezer for about 20 minutes


 


7.  melt more of the chocolate wafers in a tall glass (if possible-it makes it easier to dunk the pops) according to the directions on bag (usually 30 second intervals).
8.  dunk the pops into the melted chocolate and sprinkle and place somewhere to dry.  
**note:  i did not have any styrofoam to place these in as they dried, this is why they are laying downward.  you can do either.  if giving them as gifts, they look better when you dry them right side up in styrofoam.
**other note:  don't move the pops around too much in the melted chocolate, just dunk and let the chocolate coat them.  i had several pops fall off of the sticks because i moved them around too much-don't worry though, i just ate those as i went along-oh, look at that...they tasted just as good :)

 

***ENJOY...i felt like one could be consumed in about 2 bites, which made me think i could eat about 3 of them to truly equal one piece of cake...i just made that up...but it worked for me.  we enjoyed these TREMENDOUSLY!!!

xoxo

treat day TUESDAY

i must first begin by saying one of my offspring DETESTED this and one LOVED it...

that being said, i found this recipe from an instagram superwoman (@lilsipper).  she has amazing recipes (and a few i probably wouldn't touch with a 10 foot pool- i.e. kale cake with squash frosting)...but i digress.  

this is a recipe for a CLEAN klondike bar

 (i mean, what would you do for a {CLEAN} klondike bar, right?).  

**i doubled this recipe to make 8 total.

ingredients
bars:

• 1/2 cup soaked almonds (or cashews)
• 1 banana

coating/sauce:

• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup raw cacoa powder (i used hershey's cocoa 100% cacao-hoping that is ok)

steps:
bars:

1. puree almonds and banana (don't add water)-used the blender and it worked splendidly
2. poor into a bread pan lined with parchment paper
3. freeze for 2 hours
4. cut into 4 (or 8) squares and place back in freezer for 20 more minutes while you prepare the sauce

 

sauce:

1. mix coconut oil and powder (should be melted enough to pour)
2. then dip/pour/spread sauce all over bars (this got super messy)
3. freeze for another few minutes

**i thought they would also be good rolled in sliced almonds...i may try that next time!
**these are not sweet, sweet, like milk chocolate, so you can add honey or agave (to keep it vegan) to the sauce or even vanilla extract-they are definitely a bit of an acquired taste
ENJOY! :) 

 xoxo

 

chocolate chip pumpkin cookies

these are just about the BEST cookies i have ever made!...and quite easy, to boot.  i found the recipe on one of the many blogs i follow but can't remember which one (so, sorry if you ever read this and i didn't give you any credit for it).

these are perfect for a crisp fall evening (after the chili and cornbread)  

enjoy with a cup o' joe!

COOKIES

1/2 cup shortening 

1 cup sugar

1 cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 cups chocolate chips (i used 2 cups for extra chocolate)

*preheat oven to 350.  grease cookie sheets

*in medium bowl, cream the shortening and sugar.  stir in the pumpkin and vanilla

*in separate bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture.

*add chocolate chips and stir by hand (i did the rest with the kitchenaid)

*bake for about 10 to 15 minutes depending on the oven (mine actually took about 16 or 17 minutes)-mine did not flatten, but looked more like fluffy small biscuits
(oops, forgot to take a pic of that step-the picture below is just before they went into the oven).

CREAM CHEESE ICING

(NOTE: this recipe makes enough for 2 batches of cookies.  half it, if only making one batch...or save for other pumpkin recipes)

1 8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

1 lb powder sugar (oh yes, one pound...geez)

1 tsp vanilla

dash of salt (which i forgot to add and they still tasted delicious)

*add all ingredients and put a dollop on cooled cookies

halloween cookies

i was reading another blog the other day and saw these halloween cookies.  i figured i could make them and have a little fun with the girls while i was at it.  so, off to michaels we trekked to buy halloween cookie cutters and fondant frosting (the really smooth stuff usually used on wedding cakes).  of course all they had were bats, ghosts, and pumpkins.  oh joy, ghosts!!!  just what i want my girls to know and associate with halloween.  i ended up giving in and buying the ghost and pumpkin.  i baked the cookies (a delicious almond vanilla sugar cookie recipe found here)  well, not quite as easy as they appear to perfect the frosting.  i mean, i watched about three tutorials on how to make them look perfect...ya know, the kind you buy at the professional cookie store.  the first batch turned out GREAT, but the fondant doesn't taste as good as i had hoped.  so, back to university of cookie to find another option to great frosting.  i discovered royal icing.  it is the kind that hardens but tastes GREAT.  back to michaels we went tonight to buy the royal icing.  i followed the instructions from the vlog (video blog) and tried it.  guess what....it really worked.  however, make sure the tip you use on the piping is bigger than a 2.  a size 2 barely held the frosting in.  anyway, they taste great and that is what counts.  my hubby and girls did NOT care that the frosting was running off the cookie.  

oh, and p.s. fondant tastes better a few days later...oh great! 

here's a picture straight outta the oven!

and.....frosted!