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Vegan Fudge Cake

3/26/2019

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Who doesn't LOVE chocolate!?  I've always been a chocolate lover and when I was diagnosed with Lyme I thought I would have to give up chocolate for good!  The good news is that I really only gave it up for a year, and I found healthy ways to eat chocolate in small proportions so it doesn't make me sick!

This chocolate cake was a hit for my whole family and it's completely organic, refined-sugar free, AND vegan!  Yep, that's right!  No animal products in this cake!  I also have found in my healthy baking pursuit that it's really difficult to make healthy cakes that aren't super dry, but I've FINALLY mastered a refined sugar-free recipe that is super moist and very fudgy on the inside!  Even the glaze is sugar free and it adds the final finishing touch to this beautiful cake!  I also used cacao powder in this recipe instead of cocoa.  Cacao is considered a super food and helps boost your mood and your immune system!  Eating chocolate in the right amounts can be good for your body!  What a relief!! 

Vegan Fudge Cake!

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Ingredients:
2 cups coconut milk
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raw honey
1/2 organic maple syrup
2/3 cup organic grapeseed oil
2 Tbs. pure vanilla extract (Yes that's correct!  Bring on the flavor!)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 cups whole wheat bread flour
2/3 cup cacao powder (sifted)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/4 tsp. salt

Chocolate Glaze:
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted (or if you don't mind it not being vegan you can use organic butter)
1/4 cup powdered Lakanto sweetener
1 Tbs. cacao powder
2-3 Tbs. coconut milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.  Prepare your bunt pan.  The secret to a bunt cake that doesn't stick is using organic, grass-fed butter.  But since we're going vegan here, you can also grease your pan with coconut oil, and the coat it in flour as well.
  2. In a large glass measuring cup, mix milk and vinegar.  Set it aside for about two minutes.  This mixture makes vegan buttermilk!
  3. Mix sweeteners, oil, and vanilla in a medium bowl, and whisk together by hand.  Add your vegan buttermilk and whisk until well combined.
  4. In a large bowl, combine flours, cacao powder, baking soda, and salt until combined.
  5. Pour milk mixture over the top of your dry mixture and beat with a hand mixer until smooth.
  6. Pour batter into bunt pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
  7. Allow cake to cool for about 30 mins.  Remove from bunt pan.
  8. For the glaze, whisk all ingredients together and pour glaze over the top of a completely cooled cake.
  9. Slice and enjoy!

*Use organic ingredients when feasible.
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Healthy Cinnamon Rolls!

3/7/2019

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Did you know that cinnamon can actually be used as a medicinal herb?  It can be used as an anti-bacterial, and it's also known to kill stealth bacteria in our bodies like micoplasma!  Who knew?! 

I have a lot of healthy recipes I've been trying lately that are going to go up on here soon, but I had to postpone all of those because this recent recipe I just made was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!  This recipe taught me so much about clean eating and how you don't have to eat bad tasting food to eat clean.  These cinnamon rolls look, taste, smell, and make you feel amazing!

I don't know why anybody would feel like they need processed sugars and other processed food in their lives when they can eat something this delicious and nourish their body with proper nutrients at the same time!  These rolls are made with organic, whole wheat flour, and they're about 98% sugar free, and 100% refined-sugar free!  The only refined sugar in these babies is a little bit of raw honey in the dough, and then the filling and frosting is sweetened with Lakanto sweetener which is not processed in your body the same way sugar is.  Lakanto is an amazing sweetener that is made with Monk fruit which is a super food and filled with nutrients! 

​You can purchase Lakanto here and you can also find it on Amazon!

The BEST Healthy Cinnamon Rolls!

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Ingredients:

Dough:
​1 cup warm coconut milk (110° F)
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter (melted)
4 1/2 cups organic whole wheat bread flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup raw honey
2 1/2 tsp. yeast (do not use instant yeast! Instant yeast is highly processed)

Filling:
1/2 cup golden Lakanto sweetener
2 1/2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1/3 cup butter (melted)

Frosting:
1 (8 oz.) package organic cream cheese
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 cup powdered Lakanto sweetener
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt

Directions:
  1. Dissolve the yeast in the warm coconut milk in a large glass measuring cup.  Mix the honey, butter, salt, and eggs in a large stand mixer.  Add your milk and yeast mixture and whisk together on low until well combined. 
  2. Add flour and mix well.  Knead your dough using your dough hook attachment.  Knead for about 4-5 minutes on medium speed.  (When you poke your dough with your finger and it pops back at you, that's when you now it's ready to rise.)
  3. Grease a large glass bowl with a light layer of butter, and with lightly floured hands place your dough in the bowl, cover with parchment paper, and let rise for about 2 hours (or until the dough has doubled in size) in a warm environment.
  4. After the dough has doubled, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 mins.
  5. In  a small bowl, combine combine your golden sweetener and cinnamon.
  6. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle.  Brush your dough with melted butter, then sprinkle your cinnamon mixture over the top.  Roll up dough, starting along the long side.
  7. Cut into 12-18 rolls.  (Or you can use the simple trick of taking a clean piece of white thread, sliding it underneath your dough where you'd like to cut, and crossing the two ends of the thread over each other to cut the dough.  This makes for a clean cut, and doesn't mutilate your rolls so much.)
  8. Place rolls on a lightly greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise until doubled. (It took mine about 1 hour.)
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  10. Bake rolls for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
  11. To make the frosting, simply cream your butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer, add your other ingredients, and then cream together until smooth.  Spread evenly on each roll.

*These rolls stay super fresh for about five days if you store them in the fridge!  Then when you're ready to eat them you can either warm them in your warming drawer on high for 10 mins. Or you can preheat your oven to 350°, turn it off once it's fully preheated, and place your rolls inside for about 10 mins.  Then when you take them out it will be like having a freshly baked cinnamon roll!
*Use organic ingredients when feasible. 

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Homemade Veggie Pizza!

2/6/2019

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Every kid's favorite food... pizza!!  This is one of my favorite recipes for a Friday night, mainly because pizza is perfect weekend food, and pizza is really easy to make vegetarian if you're trying to cut down your meat intake.  I generally eat meat only three times a week, so this is a delicious option for one of the meat-free nights of the week!  This pizza is also completely organic and refined sugar-free!

This is also my PERFECTED crust recipe!  I love cooking gluten-free, but not all of my recipes are gluten free because I believe that whole, organic grain is healthy and full of necessary nutrients.  So, this crust is made with whole wheat flour, and it's the perfect mix of crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside!

Also, you can top with ANYTHING you like!  I topped this one with olives and peppers.  But I've also used fresh pineapple, mushrooms, cilantro, fresh tomatoes, really anything you like!  

Homemade Pizza!

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Ingredients:
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Dough:

1 1/3 cup warm water (between 100-110°F)
2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 Tbs. raw honey
2 Tbs. olive oil
3/4 tsp. salt
 3 1/2 cups whole wheat bread flour
sprinkle of cornmeal for dusting

Sauce:
1 12 oz. can organic tomato sauce
1/4 cup water
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 Tbs. Italian seasoning
1 Tbs. basil
Cheese
​Desired Toppings

Directions:
  1. Whisk the warm water and honey together together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Gently mix the yeast into the mixture and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  (If the yeast is live it should bubble up after you let it sit for a bit.)
  2. Add the olive oil, salt, and flour.  Beat on low speed for two minutes.  Then knead your dough by mixing for another 2-5 minutes.  After kneading, the dough should feel a little soft.  Poke it with your finger and if it bounces back it's ready to rise.  Otherwise, turn it back on low and keep kneading.
  3. Lightly grease a large glass bowl with butter, place the dough in the bowl and turn it to coat the dough in the butter.  Cover the bowl with parchment paper and let rise in a warm, dry environment for about 1-2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
  4. Preheat oven to 375°F and place your pizza stones inside.  Allow the stones to heat inside as you shape the dough.  (This is what creates the crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside texture.)
  5. Line your counter top with parchment paper and sprinkle cornmeal on top.  When it's ready, punch the dough down to release any air, and divide the dough in half.  Use lightly floured hands and a lightly floured rolling pin to gently flatten your dough into a disc your desired size.  Do this with both balls of dough on separate sheets of paper.
  6. Spread your sauce, cheese, and other desired toppings on your dough, and slide the parchment paper with the dough on top onto your preheated pizza stones.  (They're super hot at this point so be careful and use oven mits!)
  7. Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top, and slice and eat immediately.
  8. Store any leftovers in the fridge.

*Use Organic ingredients when feasible.

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Claire's Chocolate Kisses!

1/22/2019

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Okay, I know that it's still January and not quite Valentines season yet, BUT.... I LOVE Valentines day, and I needed something to cheer me up through these gray January days.  So... Claire's Kisses were born!!  These are a little different than my other chocolate recipes in that they are made with organic cacao wafers, and cacao is a super food that boosts mood, energy, and immune function!

It's a common myth that eating healthy means that you don't eat anything that tastes good, and I'm here to say that you DO NOT have to deprive yourself just because you choose to eat and live a healthful life!  Confession.... I used to be OBSESSED with Hershey's chocolate kisses!  I was that girl in high school that always had a bag of them in my locker, and I probably consumed a handful a day.  I wouldn't recommend that for anyone whether you have a chronic illness or not!  So... I'm SUPER EXCITED about these because they're organic, refined sugar-free, and full of nutrients that your body will love!

Stay tuned for different flavored chocolate recipes all through the month of February because this is for sure my new favorite recipe!!

Also, thanks to A Bite of Healthy for helping me out with this recipe!  My sister is the creator of this food blog, and she is a food GENIUS!  So go check out her blog here.

Claire's Chocolate Kisses!

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Ingredients:
1/2 cup cacao wafers
4 1/2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbs. coconut butter
1 tsp. coconut oil

Directions:
  1. Melt ingredients in a double boiler on medium heat until completely melted.  (The melting process will be a slow process so be patient, and stir constantly.)
  2. Remove from heat and spoon chocolate into large chocolate chip molds.  (You can get them from Amazon)
  3. After filling the mold, gently tap against a counter top to ensure to remove any air bubbles in your chocolate.
  4. Poke a toothpick into each chocolate to ensure that chocolate reaches all the way to the tip of the mold.
  5. Refrigerate for an hour or two, or until chocolate is solid!
  6. Remove from the mold and enjoy!
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*Use organic ingredients when feasible.

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I would HIGHLY ENCOURAGE you to make your own coconut butter!  It's a super simple process and it makes enough coconut butter to fill a small jar!

All you have to do is take two cups of shredded coconut and blend it in a small blender on high until coconut reaches a creamy texture!  Store it in the fridge when you're done and enjoy it in lots of your healthy recipes!
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Banana Cream Pie!

1/17/2019

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This is me trying my hand at gluten free and dairy free delights!  The banana cream pie is super easy to make and it's no bake, gluten free, dairy free, sugar free, and organic!  I was actually super surprised at how delicious it turned out!  This is a healthy pie that you won't want to miss!

I originally found this recipe here, but I tweaked it a bit to my liking.  But go check out Paleo Bailey and her delicious healthy recipes!

Healthy Banana Cream Pie!

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Ingredients:

Crust:
1 1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup almond flour
7 Medjool dates, pitted
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt

Filling:
2 14 oz. cans full-fat coconut cream (refrigerate for a couple of hours prior to use)
2-3 bananas, sliced
1/4 cup + 2 Tbs. pure maple syrup
1 Tbs. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

chopped pecan and extra sliced banana for topping

Directions:
  • Add all crust ingredients into food processor  and blend until everything is finely chopped and well combined.  Mixture should be thick and sticky.  Add a Tbs. or two of water to help combine the mixture if the nuts aren't blending well.
  • Lightly coat a 9 inch glass pie pan with melted coconut oil and evenly press the crust mixture into the pan.
  • Layer the sliced bananas for the filling over the crust. (It's okay if they overlap, and honestly I'd highly recommend a double layer if you really like bananas!)
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  • Add both cans of coconut cream into a mixing bowl, leaving as much liquid in the can as possible (you only want the white creamy stuff).
  • Add the maple syrup, vanilla, and cinnamon to the bowl and use a hand mixer or stand mixer to whip the filling together until the coconut cream is thick.
  • Pour filling over crust and spread evenly with a rubber spatula.
  • Place in the fridge for 2-3 hours or until the pie sets.
  • Add toppings only once ready to eat so the bananas on top don't brown.
  • Store in refrigerator.

*Use organic ingredients when feasible!
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Healthier Mac n' Cheese!

10/27/2018

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Healthy macaroni and cheese?!  Does that even exist?!  Yes my friends, it does!  And I have the perfect recipe for you!  Even Lyme patients still enjoy their comfort food! ;)  This mac n' cheese tastes better than the stuff that comes in a box, it lacks all of the chemicals and additives that can harm our bodies, and it's filled with nutrients that feeds our bodies, and our souls! ;)  This recipe gave me a chance to travel back in time to my childhood when mac n' cheese was a staple at my house, and now it's something that my family enjoys regularly.  Take your taste buds on a journey with this cheesy delight! 
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Ingredients:
1 lb macaroni or pasta of choice
6 Tbs. butter (preferably grass-fed)
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
​1/3 heavy whipping cream (organic)
1/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup sharp shredded cheese

Directions:
  1. Bring a stockpot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add a teaspoon of salt to the water, then add the pasta.  Cook until soft.
  2. Meanwhile, melt butter over medium heat in a sauce pan.  Stir in garlic and onion powder and cook for about a minute, stirring constantly.
  3. Stir in cream, milk, pumpkin, salt, and cheese.  Stir until sauce is heated through and cheese is melted.
  4. Drain water from pasta, and add cheese sauce to pasta.
  5. Serve with salad and enjoy! 

*If you desire a sauce that is less thick, you can add water a tablespoon at a time until you have your desired consistency.
​*You can always add more salt to taste.  I also like topping mine with basil and other herb mixes.

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    Welcome to My Kitchen!

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    Food is one of the greatest forms of science, art, medicine, and sustenance all at the same time!  It's what feeds our lives and pumps through our blood.  It's what connects us and what gives us energy to fulfill our purpose.  It is for that reason that I have a deep passion for discovering, cooking, and eating only the most nutrient dense foods.  In my kitchen, we only use organic, whole ingredients that feed the body, as well as the mind and soul.  My hope is to inspire healing through healthy  AND delicious food that feeds not only our stomachs, but also our hunger for connection and quality of life.  

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    Remember, when we spend our money on the most nutritious and whole ingredients, our dollars become our vote for healthier living, and happier lifestyles. ​
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Disclaimer: For Educational and Informational Purposes Only.  The information provided by Chronically Beautiful is for educational and informational purposes only, and is made available to you as self-help tools for your own use.  All and any information given on my website is for the purpose of sharing information to help you help yourself, and not for me to take on any other role as any health professional.
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