Flourless Peanut Butter S'mores Cookies {Gluten-free, Dairy free}

Ohhh heyyyyyy.

It's been a minute, huh?

Turns out...parenthood is hard you guys. It's like all consuming and add in trying to keep up with various life things (we got a minivan! James broke Michael's computer! There's a global pandemic!), generally feeding our whole family, somewhat keeping the house clean, trying to spend any time on self care or my relationship with Michael, and the little bit of work I do (seriously NO clue how everyone who works full time does it) aaaand...something had to give. Unfortunately that something was this blog. 

But-as I said, there's a global pandemic going on. Which means that Michael is able to work from home (which we are extremely lucky to have that option and I hate that more people aren't in that position). Which has really helped with dividing up house responsibilities and brainstorming ways to be more efficient. Also I'm no longer working outside of the house either. So we decided to give me a few extra hours a week to just go away from the kiddos, let Michael take over, and I can do whatever work sorts of things I need to do. And that includes finding some time to blog again! So hip hip hooray I have some recipes for you! 

Way back before Rose was born when James was still more toddler than little boy (*sob*) the two of us decided to bake cookies together. And I had seen these cookies on Instagram that looked super ooey gooey delicious but were a little healthier (maple syrup instead of sugar, gluten-free, dairy free, able to use my homemade peanut butter that I always have lying around...) AND they looked really quick and easy to make (necessary when dealing with a toddler). So we made them together (the little cutie loved the part where we flattened the dough balls) and then ate them together and oooooh they were PERFECT. So chewy. So flavorful. So decadent and delicious, you'd honestly never guess they were anything but pure sinful (not that I believe in food having any morality, all food is good food! And this is my mommy soapbox for today.) 

And James pointed to them and said "I made that." So really the accomplishment almost superseded the tastiness. 

Make 'em. Eat 'em. Do a happy dance that I posted a recipe for you and that of course it's cookies.

Apple Cinnamon Baked Oatmeal

Another baby/toddler approved recipe--that's also endorsed by the hubby. This oatmeal is awesome because it is super versatile, you can totally play around with it a bunch, and it's healthy AND tasty! And-bonus for a busy parent or any busy adult-suuuper quick and easy to make. You just mix everything together, spread into a pan, and bake!

I love baked oatmeal-I think it's so comforting and tasty and I like that it's not as messy as unbaked oatmeal, lol. James loved this too-it's nice and filling and flavorful. I haven't made it in awhile now and the only reason for that is a current "bopple" (AKA apple) obsession that little man is going through. No apples survive his appetites long enough to end up in anything else. He so much as glimpses an apple and he immediately starts clamoring for "BOPPLE BOPPLE BOPPLE!"

But I swear as soon as I figure out how to successfully hide an apple from his little eagle toddler eyes I will be making this again!

Banana Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes {Baby Led Weaning Recipes}

I've got another baby-approved recipe for you!!! These pancakes are AHHMAZING for everyone because they're super quick and easy to whip up and so healthy AND delicious!! Seriously, Michael and I both loved them almost as much as James (it's hard to compare to the amount of enthusiasm that little guy had for these pancakes. He devoured them in no time flat!) They also freeze great, I made a big batch and then froze most of them so I could easily just take one out and microwave it anytime little man needed his pancake fix.

I just love how healthy these pancakes are, they're mostly just bananas and oats! And you just blend all the ingredients in a blender: COULD NOT BE EASIER. I also added blueberries for my boys and because I'm a grown up and I can-and I don't dig blueberries-I added chocolate chips for myself. These were actually one of the first foods that baby James got excited about (he ate 2.5 pancakes in one sitting) and no one can blame him. You'll love them and feel good about eating them/feeding them to your family!

3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Cookies {Baby Led Weaning Recipes}

James is 9 months old which means we've been on our baby led weaning journey for about 2 and a half months. I'm not going to try to sell you on it or be terribly informative I'll just sum it up by saying: when babies are at least 6 months old and able to sit up unassisted you offer them table foods, usually whatever you're having-just cut appropriately(aside from choking hazards, like nuts, or things babies can't have, like honey)-instead of doing purees. There's a bunch to it and I highly suggest you look into it if you're interested, I've loved it. Anyway, thanks to BLW James is an awesome eater and I get to have tons of fun making him lots of different foods. But I also want him to be healthy, so he hasn't had any real desserts yet. His kind of desserts are like nice cream (AKA blended frozen bananas that have the texture of ice cream) and these cookies. Which I'm good with. And, frankly, they ARE tasty. So he's not missing out!

I mean, clearly he couldn't keep his hands off them:

3 ingredients: oats, peanut butter, and bananas. That's it. It's pretty epic. And not just for babies! I would have called them "breakfast cookies" prior to mommy-dom and been perfectly happy eating them then, too. This recipe is super duper insanely easy to whip up and it's also very customizable-you can add in all sorts of mix ins and sub out different nut butters if peanut isn't your thang. You can even add some maple syrup or honey if you feel like they're not sweet enough. Let's be honest, if these had just been made for me they would have had chocolate chips. But James is not ready for chocolate, he'll love it too much. Gotta keep some surprises for him. So for now he'll happily munch away on his special little baby cookies because they're tasty and I'll be happy that they're healthy! Win win win win!

Pecan Muddy Buddies

Muddy Buddies or Puppy Chow--whatever you call it, it's delicious (for those who don't know: it's chex cereal coated in a butter/chocolate/pb mixture and then tossed in powdered sugar). And I don't know why I had never even thought about using the same method to coat something other than chex. But when I saw this recipe using toasted pecans...oh my goodness I knew I had to make it happen. Plus...it's stupid easy. Which is necessary in the unpredictable life of being a new(ish) mama.

I actually sort of am enjoying baking/making desserts with James now. I'll put him in a baby wrap and he likes to face outward and then chew on one of his baby spoons or something while I make stuff (and sometimes he tries to "help"). I think the kitchen and me making stuff in the kitchen is just super new and interesting for him and it's sort of adorable and warms my heart.

Plus it means I get to have treats. So it's a win all around.

Speaking of wins, these pecan muddy buddies definitely are one. I think I still prefer classic puppy chow but I liked the nuttiness of these-and Michael was a BIG fan. He couldn't get enough. He may have even eaten more of them than me! Which is sort of a big deal.

{Gluten-free} Salted Chocolate Chip Pecan Blondies

YAY! I BAKED A SWEET AGAIN! I'm so happy I could cry.

AND AND AND Michael finalllyyyyy really loved a healthier dessert I made (usually he's like "it's fine but it'd be better if it was normal" blah blah). So we've got double the reason to celebrate!

The blondies are AMAZING because they're INSANELY gooey and rich and soft and chewy but then there's also the crunchy toasted pecans on top and melty dark chocolate and-obviously-sea salt on top to make everything even tastier. And yeah they just so happen to be like gluten free, dairy free, and paleo. Which is like WHAAA? You'd seriously never guess there's anything healthified about them. You can trust the Michael seal of approval!

You know part of what makes blondies sosososo yummy?? 3 words: toasted.pecan.butter. YEAH. It's what's holding together a lot of this recipe and allowing it to be its dairy free and gluten free self, but it's also what makes it taste so rich and decadent and gooey and....perfect. Just...perfect. You're gonna love these. I mean it. MAKE THEM!

Vegan Strawberry Ice Cream

Yepp, my spoiled husband got me to make him more ice cream. And, once again, it's dairy free (and, incidentally, vegan) so that he can eat more of it without worrying about his tummy. AND for all of you peoples with the New Year's resolutions--this is probably right up your alley!

This recipe made me extra happy because it's like healthy ice cream (actually, to be exact, it's sort of like a cross between an ice cream and a sorbet, texture-wise. Not quite as creamy as ice cream, but not quite as icy as sorbet.) It's legit just like strawberries, a liquid sweetener (such as agave nectar, honey, maple syrup, etc.), coconut cream, and non-dairy milk. It's pretty awesome. And Michael looooved it.

I will admit, part of what Michael loved is that I topped the ice cream with homemade magic shell...so it was like a chocolate covered strawberry situation. Still, though. Healthy. He's happy. I'm happy. The only reason we're not happy right now is we finally ran out of it (and this recipe makes a good amount, so it took us awhile) and now he's all ice cream-less and I'm stuck with debating if I'm going to make him more or buy him some or make him just live without ice cream because gosh there's a baby coming and I've got bigger fish to fry than ice cream!

But...I mean...I'll probably just make some more of this because it's awesome. (AND unlike some other dairy-free/vegan ice creams it actually scoops pretty easily straight out of the freezer! WOO!)

Vegan Peanut Butter Ice Cream

A simple recipe for vegan peanut butter ice cream, using only 4 easily found ingredients, that is creamy and delicious!

So...Michael isn't technically lactose intolerant. But he's definitely having a harder time with large amounts of dairy the older he's getting. So we've been cutting back a bit and subbing in with cashew milk. But he's a bit of an ice cream fanatic. So I decided it was high time I tried to make some dairy free ice cream for him and when I went looking for a simple recipe (with no weird, random, ingredients that a non-vegan person wouldn't normally have) this one jumped out at me! It's got only FOUR ingredients and is nice and straightforward. 

Michael also likes chocolate chips or chunks in his ice creams so I added that as an optional mix-in as well! Either way, the ice cream is creamy and flavorful (so peanut buttery) and Michael and I both loved it! I will say, you should leave the ice cream out for a bit after having it in the freezer before serving because it gets REALLY hard in the freezer. Like...unscoopable. But if we can't have patience for ice cream, what can we have patience for?

Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here it is--my first recipe that I've made and photographed for the blog since that darned first trimester fatigue/nausea hit me. And-of course-the lighting was not my friend. So...sorry about the pictures. Bear with me.

Now the important thing here is HOW GOSH DARN TASTY these are. They're are super duper peanut buttery, very very flavorful-and there's no flour or butter. Lots of winning. Full disclosure, though--forming the dough into balls was THE BIGGEST PAIN IN MY BUTT. They were so crumbly and it was rough. Now-this may be partly because I used PB & Co peanut butter which I thought wouldn't count as natural peanut butter but...maybe it did and affected the texture. I couldn't tell you. But but but seriously they're so yummy.

Michael was a giant fan of these cookies-they got sent in his lunches every day (I love that I'm already well versed in packing lunches before even having given birth) and they were perfect for my occasional peanut butter cravings (which I'm attributing to the fact that I haven't been eating a ton of meat since getting pregnant so I probably needed the protein.) Whatever reason you may have for wanting them, you won't be sorry you made these cookies. Even if you're cursing their existence when you're scooping and shaping them :P

Paleo Chocolate Chunk Blondies

...hi again. Erm...didja know moving sort of is a big time commitment and thusly I am terribly sorry for how scarcely I've been seen 'round these parts? Cuz yeah...it's all true.

I'm kinda sorta super into paleo desserts. Like...I like 'em. I love coconut sugar and coconut oil and nutty flours and...yeah. I'm a fan. I feel like I'm eating something delicious and decadent, but I know it's not like....terrible for me. And that makes me a happy Kayle :)

I will admit that Michael wasn't huge on these blondies. But I think he's dumb and smells funny, so there!

...ok he actually smells good, but still, I think he's crazy for not liking these. But I guess that means more for me!

I mean...what's not to like? They're soft and chewy, with just a little but of crunch, and so much depth of flavor and gooey dark chocolate and...yeah. I'm a fan. ESPECIALLY when warm. Full support of eating these warm. Which...I mean...that's nothing new.

Michael and I are in the midst of attempting to be healthier, but I still need dessert sometimes. And honestly these blondies are the perfect thing. All I need is one and I'm happy. 

...I mean...I really want more than one. But, one will do :P

Chocolate & Salted Caramel Swirled Meringues

Remember how we made that creme brulee last week that used 4 egg yolks? Remember how I said I had the perfect way for you to use those leftover egg whites? HERE IT IS!

Gaze upon the most glorious meringues of all time:

Crisp and light and airy and chewy--these are facts about meringues. And they're even better when you swirl dark chocolate and salted caramel in them and top them with a bit of sea salt. It's like magic. 

They were so magical (and the recipe made so many) that I felt I needed to share them. I gave some to a bride I met with (whose wedding was on Saturday, actually) as well as my boss, Val (and her husband, Darrin-who was pretty stoked to be getting gifted with treats). Val & Darrin loved them, as did Michael, as did I.

Really-there's no reason to make any other kind of meringue cookie, in my opinion. Because once you go caramel and chocolate...you don't go back, ya know? Sometimes we spoil ourselves.

{Vegan & Gluten-free} Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies are pretty miraculous. They're really delicious, and chewy, and awesome. They also happen to be gluten-free and (if you use vegan chocolate chips) vegan. 

WHAAAAA??! 

I know. Like I said-miraculous.

BTW--HOW adorable is that little glass bottle thing in the background?? Michael's mom has a few of those on display in her dining room and I've been eyeing them for awhile. Since she's moving, she's trying to get rid of a lot of stuff, so she happily gave me one! (She offered to give me a bunch more stuff but...I don't have the space lol) I knew they'd be perfect to include in a cookie shoot and i was right!

Honestly, these cookies just taste like a delicious almond butter (or peanut butter) oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. I would never have guessed that they're vegan and gluten-free. They're really really delicious. And, I felt like they were healthy enough to eat for breakfast....

But you know. You do you.

Homemade Mexican Guacamole

Lately...I've been craving guacamole. And I haven't been able to get it (I keep meaning to go to this one Mexican restaurant we love but it hasn't happened yet) so...I finally just decided to make my own. Because that's what we food bloggers do. Or...at least...that's usually what I do. And really...there's no reason that all of us shouldn't make our own guacamole! IT IS SO EASY! And insaaanely quick to make!

Funny fact--apparently my dad and grandma (heck..probably all of my grandparents) have never tried guacamole. And one time (a time my brother and I still enjoy a good giggle over) my mom pronounced guac "GWYE-ACK" (admittedly on accident--she does know how to correctly pronounce it). So...I don't come from a particularly adventurous food background. But somehow...I love guacamole. And I am so happy that I do.

First a little tip on avocado ripeness--you're going to want the avocado skin to be very dark and have give when you squeeze it. If it's suuuper soft when you squeeze it-it may be over-ripe, but you can still cut it open and use any parts that are still green and not brown! Another tip for good guac is DO NOT BE AFRAID OF SALT! Seriously...you're gonna want to be generous. And also, this recipe is definitely one of those taste and adjust sort of situations--some of the ingredients aren't going to have amounts because you should sort of just add however much tastes good to you, you know? I know the first time you make something that is super frustrating but I promise after you make it once and figure it out...it just makes sense!

Oh and after you've made the guacamole, if you don't finish it and want some leftovers and are concerned about it turning brown here's another little tip: spray the top of the guacamole with cooking spray and cover the top with plastic wrap (so that the wrap is pressing on all of the guacamole)--it helps!

Avocadoes are potentially the only thing that I like and Michael doesn't, so I had to eat all the guacamole myself. Which...even though it didn't look like much...it actually was. So this might be best to serve if you're entertaining or have at least a couple people to eat it--because I had a difficult time finishing it by myself. 

Also--don't limit yourself to eating this deliciousness with just chips! Quesadillas, flautas, and even french fries are so good dipped in the guac and it's also tasty on sandwiches!

Guacamole is too good to only enjoy one way. 

Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies

When I saw Ambitious Kitchen share these cookies...I had no intention on making them anytime soon. But then How Sweet It Is raved about them. And I realized I had all the ingredients on hand. So I made the best decision ever and decided to give them a try. And they're one of my all-time favorite healthier cookie recipes.

Michael's really becoming a cookie connoisseur, I'm a little proud of it. I like to think I'm responsible. I decided not to tell him there was anything different about these cookies but he immediately was like "Hmm...they're a little nutty. The texture is different too-is there almond butter in these?" And I mean...almond flour...he wasn't too far off. I then came clean and he just shrugged and ate the rest of the cookie happily. Ahh how far we've come.

That reminds me of a funny story-we were voting early for the upcoming primary and I was apparently just out of sorts that day because I kept asking questions and then seeing there were very obvious answers around me. And Michael kept teasing me every time. The people at the election office were getting a kick out of it and the one older woman asked if I was sure about him. I then informed her we were married so I'm fairly stuck with him. She giggled and said well a sense of humor is always good for a long lasting relationship. I agreed. And then glared at my oh so funny husband.

Anyway--back to the cookies. 

They're chewy. Just a little bit nutty (part of why I'm so impressed Michael picked up on it). The coconut sugar gives them a deliciously complex and almost caramelized flavor. Gooey dark chocolate chunks are the things I dream of...and sea salt on top because I firmly feel all ccc's need it. My cookie jar was a happy place when these resided there. And they couldn't be easier to make-you just mix them up in a bowl, you don't even need an electric mixer! And there's no chilling required soo...you can pretty much have cookies in your belly in less than 30 minutes. SCORE!

Raw Sugar Salted Caramel Sauce-Guest Post at Golden Barrel

By now we should all be aware of how enamored I am with salted caramel. So when it came time for me to have some more fun with Golden Barrel products for another blog post, I decided to use their raw sugar for an unprocessed, delicious twist on my fave caramel sauce recipe.

You might be wondering--oh, is caramel sauce hard to make? The answer is: NO! It's actually pretty quick and easy, so long as you use a deep enough pot to cook it so it doesn't spatter and burn you. And you may also be wondering--does raw sugar make the caramel sauce difficult, because of the larger sugar crystals? Answer: NOPE again! Still easy!

Really I mean...just look at that amber caramel perfection. It is so delicious. And makes your house smell fantastic. And makes you want to eat it with a spoon or maybe develop some recipes with it...? Hmmm...I suppose we'll have to wait and see :P

Now, enough jibber jabber, do you want to make this caramel sauce??

Head to the Golden Barrel blog to get the caramelicious recipe!

Double Chocolate Coconut Flour Muffins {Gluten-free, Dairy free, Paleo, Low fat}

Hurray! I did it! I made a healthy-like really...actually healthy-thing and Michael liked it and complimented it and had no comments like "yeah it's ok but it would be better if it were sweeter..." etc. These muffins are that healthy thing.

Now-if you're into the paleo thing or if you're gluten-free or dairy free, good news! You can totally eat these muffins! And if you're not paleo or dairy free? Feel free to use peanut butter and cow milk in this recipe (which I, in fact, did). I was super excited about the gluten-free aspect because I was able to use some of the coconut flour that I've had just sitting in my refrigerator, and these muffins were by far the best recipe I've made using it! Anyway, regardless of dietary needs--these are just taaasty tasty muffins! The texture is really nice and they have a perfect amount of chocolate flavor. They taste like a delicious and healthy treat that make an amazing breakfast or snack! (And if you're really being good-you can even make these your dessert.)

Michael even let one of his co-workers try a muffin and she raved about them. She loved that they're not too sweet but they don't taste like health food either. They're just...good! 

Which is good becaaaaause....I've got a wedding dress to wear in 10 days!

eep.

Chocolate Chewies

Allow me to gripe about something wholly un-food related (although you could somewhat blame my love of food for part of this...)--I went shopping for tank tops the other day and firmly realized that it is a difficult time to be a curvy (yet still petite?) girl. 90% of the tank tops were cropped, sheer, and/or possessing an open back or some such where you cannot wear a bra. Y'all...I NEED to wear a bra. And I need to not flash my tummy. And I have 0 idea how anyone can wear those sheer tops because they're too small to wear anything under them and if you don't then...you're just essentially naked? So...anyone who makes clothes that is somehow reading this...do us young curvy ladies a favor and make more tank tops that allow us to wear bras. kthanks.

Speaking of those silly tank tops--my cousin is a twiggy little thing and I complained to her about this, while she nodded and commiserated. Not 3 days later I see her in a cropped tank where you can see her bra and belly! I mean..no big deal but cmon girl, where's the solidarity? Even though she betrayed me I still allowed her to partake in the treats I had brought to our grandma's house for her Memorial Day party-these cookies!

And boy, were these little beauties a hit! One of my cousin's kids ate half of them before anyone even knew what hit them. One of my teenage boy cousins was thrilled when he heard I had brought cookies and I know he ate at least 4. Everyone raved about how chocolatey they are, how they taste almost like brownies...but also sort of like meringues? And they're crisp on the outside and super chewy on the inside...really...they sort of perplexed everyone. But in a "how can this be so tasty?" sort of way.

To be fair-these cookies ARE sort of strange. They're sort of a meringue cookie, but not exactly? They definitely have the whipped egg white thing going for them. They also reminded me a bit of macarons when they baked, because they have those little "feet" and that shiny shell-like exterior. Whatever they are, they're made with only 5 ingredients (egg whites, cocoa powder, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla extract), are pretty quick and easy to make, and they're lovely little bites of bliss. The texture is super unique and addictive and if you like chocolate...oh you'll love 'em!