My scrumptious Paleo Banana Bread

My weekends as usual consists with me creating new foods in the kitchen. My aim today was to come up with a delicious banana bread that the whole family would love. And let me say... this would have to be one of the best banana breads I've ever made... And this recipe would definitely have to be one of my family's new favourite! So I thought I'd share this paleo recipe with you!!

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Family Favourite Paleo Banana Bread

 Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• Pinch of salt
• 2 medium ripe bananas, peeled and broken into pieces. Plus one extra for decoration.
• 1  tbsp raw honey (Or you don’t have to add as I find it sweet enough from the dates)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ cup desiccated coconut
• 1 cup plus two tablespoons almond meal
• 3 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot flour
• 1 tbsp coconut flour
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1 tsp gf baking powder
• ½ tsp bicarb soda
• 2 1/2 tbsp coconut oil melted
• ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
• 5 dates, chopped up

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 165°C and line a loaf tin with non-stick baking paper.

Place eggs with a pinch of salt in a mixing bowl and whisk well. Add the 2 mashed bananas, honey, vanilla and whisk together until well incorporated. Add the almond meal, baking powder, tapioca, coconut flour, cinnamon and desiccated coconut, and mix together well. Lastly add the melted coconut oil and mix well. Fold in walnuts and dates. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin. Smooth the surface and place the extra banana (cut in half length ways) on top of the mixture.

Bake for 45 minutes until the skewer comes out dry. Serve and enjoy!!! 

 

Blueberry, Coconut Buckwheat Pancakes

For Mothers Day we decided to do things a little different... You see Sunday mornings are as busy as anything. Getting ready for church and all having responsibilities we have to be there early. But that doesn't stop us from blessing Mum and making her breakfast. Only this time we didn't have pancakes for breakfast. Yep! Instead we became rebellious for the day and had them for lunch.


I had some leftover buckwheat flour that I wanted to use up so I decided to come up with a pancake recipe. And knowing me, my two favourite things are blueberries and coconut... So putting them together in a pancake sounded like a perfect match... haha...  But seriously!! If you love buckwheat and coconut... You going to love these.

Blueberry, Coconut, Buckwheat Pancakes 

(Makes 6)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup buckwheat flour
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flour
• 1 teaspoon GF baking powder
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup organic coconut milk
• 3 teaspoon stevia
• 2 tablespoon desiccated coconut
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• Handful of blueberries 

Method:
Place the flours and baking powder/soda into a bowl and lightly stir. Add in the rest of the ingredients, except for the blueberries. Mixing as you go. Put the mixture to one side and let it sit. Doing this will help the ingredients soak in.

Heat up your pan with coconut oil. Scoop some mixture into the pan then grab your blueberries and evenly sprinkle over the mixture. Flip over when you start to see bubbles form and cook on the other side until it looks golden.

Serve with blueberries, banana and coconut cream or greek yogurt.

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Healthy Goodness: Super Easy Oat Bars

Today I thought I'd post one of my favourite healthy oat muesli bar recipes. I love cooking and whats the point of having a great recipe and never sharing?! haha...

I baked these today for my Dad so he has something to take to work. These bars are simple, really quick to cook and great for an on-the-go snack. I'm thinking about posting more of my healthy recipes over the next few weeks.  I love cooking and have a passion for healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle. If you do end up trying this recipe let me know so I can also see your marvelous creations!!

 

Super Easy Oat Bars 

• 3 ripe large bananas (really ripe bananas are the best ones to use. The larger the bananas, the more moist it will be)
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• 2 cups of organic rolled oats (gf)
• 1/2 cup of chopped dates or any dried fruit you would prefer
• 1/4 cup of chopped nuts (I used peanuts) 
• 1/4 cup of cacao chips or 80% dark chocolate chips (optional) 
• 1-2 tsp of cinnamon
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• Dash of nutmeg
• pinch of salt (optional)

Mash the banana really well until all the lumps are gone. Add the rest of the ingredient's into the bowl, mixing as you go. Pour the mixture into a 9x9 inch baking dish, pressing the mixture down evenly as you go. Sprinkle with cinnamon and place into a heated 180 degrees oven for 30 minutes.

Optional: drizzle with dark chocolate! Anything with chocolate gets any kid excited!

 

The Best Carrot Cake EVER... And it's healthy!

Morning Beautiful people!!

For those that Don't know... I'm sugar free. In other words, I stay away from sugar and will only eat natural sugar such as honey. 

Recently I've been feeling like carrot cake (haha.. Funny how that happens), so I decided to try and come up with a recipe using on of my old recipes and replacing it with healthy natural ingredients.

I've been a little hesitant when it comes to cooking something 'healthy' as I've tried many recipes with all natural ingredients and many have failed. But that hasn't stopped me from trying! Instead I've been able to learn more about coconut oil, honey in baking etc.

So since my family can be a fussy audience (sometimes), I've been trying to find recipes that they like.... And this one has become a family approved!

So enjoy this recipe and sorry I don't have many photos. I didn't get the opportunity to take many as the cake went quickly.... Proves it was good!! :)

Carrot Cake (refined sugar free)

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon (a bit more if you wish)
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 3/4 cup no added sugar apple sauce
• ½ - 3/4 cups honey
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups finely grated carrots
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees (Australian).
2. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
3. Add the melted apple sauce, honey, and eggs in to the bowl and mix well.
4. Fold in the carrots and walnuts.
5. Bake in 2 greased 9-in round cake pans for 30-40 minutes or until is cooked through.
6. Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool  before removing from the pans. When cooled ice with cream cheese frosting.

Hope you all enjoy and If you make it let me know!!!

God bless!!

Sara-Jayne xx

Random Wednesday: My list of lovely things!

Today's another RANDOM WEDNESDAY!!!! (sorry about the capitals..... Just thoughts I'd SCREAM!!! As I'm in one of those weird excited mood... :/ Although I don't know why!.. ahaha)

Anyways, I thought I'd firstly say I've gotten back into reading (So I can cross that off my list!!). I'm reading Anne of Green Gables and loving it! I don't know why I didn't read it ages ago!? I love the movie (seriously one of my all time faves) and thought I'd read the books. I don't know if I'd prefer the books or the movies.... I guess I can't judge as I'm only about half way through the first book.... Although I think I'll still love them both equally! :) Also the bible is such a great book!! I love reading it in the mornings!!


My list of things I want to get back into the habit of doing!!

• Get into the habit to read more!!
• Cook/bake more (also cook tea every Monday)!
• Start up our family fun nights again!
• Find ways to spend more time with siblings!

Cook and bake more. I have agreed to Mum and Dad that I'll cook tea every Monday as surprisingly that's the only day I'm not busy or doing something. Pretty much every night I have something on so I'm really trying to find time to help my family out more! I miss baking so much and just want to keep it up! And to also work on my wife skills ;).... haha


Family fun nights. My family and I have family fun nights now and then, but lately we haven't done anything. So my goal is to start that up again, including playing games, quiz night, acting (yes even acting... You'd be surprise how dramatic our family can be/act) etc. We already watch movies together, but I think I want to more focus on game nights!!! :)

Spend more time with siblings. I'm trying to find more ways to spend time with my siblings. (As well I know I might be going away for a missions trip in a year, so I really really want to just spend more time with my family and love them.) It's a bit hard when we have events to go to.... So I have decided to set a time to go for more bike rides or walks (if warm) with my brother. We enjoy doing that together, but since it's winter, it's been harder to find the effort to go out as it's to cold... haha... Just last night we decided that we would go walking whenever we could!  So that's one step closer!!!

My little sister and I made mini doughnuts!

When it comes to my sister we love playing games and cooking together, so we have decided to do just that, more often. Just last night my sister and I played hangman after we cooked doughnuts... 'Oh mini
doughnuts... so good!". We're just wanting to find more time we can spend together and have fun.


That is all!
Sara-Jayne xx

Chocolate Pudding with my Sister!!!

For dessert, my sister and I decided to make chocolate pudding!! And this recipe has to be one of my family faves!!

However, I have to tell you......as we started to put the first ingredient in (which is flour), it somehow turned into a small flour fight between my sister and I... As we knew if we made a big mess, we'd be cleaning that up (and mum wouldn't be happy)!! And none of us want to do that!! ;P haha... But we eventually got into business and started cooking!! 

Hannah and I with flour on our face

This chocolate pudding recipe is really easy and taste delicious!!


The recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups self-raising flour
1 cup cocoa
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 cup milk
100g melted butter
2 eggs
3 cups boiling water
cream or ice cream for serving

Hannah and I stirring away!!! Well... Mostly me.. ahaha

Preheat oven to 180°C (355°F). Place the flour, 1/2 cup (50g) cocoa, 3/4 cup (135g) brown sugar, milk, butter and egg in a bowl and whisk to combine. Spoon into a 3 liter-capacity baking dish and place on a baking tray. Place the remaining brow sugar and cocoa in a bowl and mix to combine. Sprinkle over the pudding and pour over the boiling water. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until risen and cooked. Allow to stand for 10-15 minutes before serving with the cream or ice cream.





The finished product!!!

Chocolate pudding with ice cream!! Yum!!!

This is a fantastic recipe for if your having guest, as it serves 6-8 people!

Honestly I find this recipe to be quite filling so I don't end up going for seconds. I guess that's why mum makes it when we have many guests over!?! But it defiantly satisfies my chocolate cravings!! ;) haha


God bless!!
Sara-Jayne xxoo