The Carlson's hit the road

 

We made it to Tahoe! We had the pleasure of taking a long weekend and staying at my Aunt and Uncle's cabin in Northstar. So beautiful! It was just what the doctor ordered. Hot cocoa next to the fire, no snow but still chilly. The air is just so fresh. Definitely something magical about Lake Tahoe.

Gluten Free Biscuit

Alex made a turkey with her hand today and I made some holiday biscuits. I adapted this recipe from my favorite food blog The Minimalist Baker. They are gluten free. So good. And with a little warmed goat cheese as a spread, mmm!

Ingredients

• 1 cup (240 ml) unsweetened PLAIN almond milk
• 1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups (272 g) Flax and Ancient grain All Purpose Flour
• 1 Tbsp (7 g) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp Himalayan sea salt
• 4 Tbsp (56 g) non-dairy, unsalted butter (I use Earth Balance or Nutriva Shortening)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C), and add lemon juice to almond milk to make "vegan buttermilk." Set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
3. Add cold butter and use fingers or a pastry cutter to combine the two until only small pieces remain and it looks like sand. Work quickly so the butter doesn’t get too warm.
4. Make a well in the dry ingredients and, using a wooden spoon, stir gently while pouring in the almond milk mixture 1/4 cup at a time. You may not need all of it. Stir until just slightly combined – it will be sticky.
5. Turn onto a lightly floured surface, dust the top with a bit of flour and then very gently turn the dough over on itself 5-6 times – hardly kneading.
6. Form into a 1-inch thick disc, handling as little as possible.
7. Use a 1-inch thick dough cutter or a similar-shape object with sharp edges (such as a cocktail shaker) and push straight down through the dough, then slightly twist. Repeat and place biscuits on a baking sheet in two rows, making sure they just touch – this will help them rise uniformly. Gently reform the dough and cut out one or two more biscuits – you should have 7-8.
8. Next brush the tops with a bit more of melted non-dairy butter and gently press a small divot in the center using two fingers. I added my favorite seasoning blend to the top (https://www.savoryspiceshop.com/spice-blends/european-dry-rub-seasoning.html) This will also help them rise evenly, so the middle won’t form a dome.
9. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until fluffy and slightly golden brown. Serve immediately. Let remaining biscuits cool completely before storing them in an airtight container or bag.

It has taken me a very long time to realize how badly I needed to find a healthy routine. A routine that would turn into a lifestyle. I have been so out of it since having Juna. I am exhausted, I feel like crap because I am either eating things that are easy and I know I shouldn't (say quesadilla... when you are lactose intolerant, yikes!) or just simply not having the time to eat.

That was it.

I was not making time for myself. I take care of everyone else in my family and put myself last. It's a mothers job, right!? WRONG! I could not be more wrong. In these past 21 days I have watched my relationships with my husband and daughter improve because I feel good. Plain and simple. I FEEL GOOD. I have energy. I am not rushing to the nearest toilet because I upset my stomach yet again with something I ate. I am not scared to leave my house because, well, I might need to use the toilet soon. I have strength. I gained muscle and definition.

This program gave me all the essentials to jump start a healthy lifestyle shift for myself and my family. I am so grateful for that! I want to help anyone who is interested in learning more about the 21 day fix, it has changed my life so dramatically in just 3 short weeks. I seriously was such a skeptic before.... who knew!?

"Healthy" Brownies

If you are having a sweet craving, but don't want to give into it, these healthy brownies will do the trick. They are moist, sweet but not too sweet, and chocolatey! I try to make them as guilt free as possible!

Ingredients

1/3 cup Coconut Flour (or experiment with other Gluten Free Flour Substitute)

1/3 cup Cocoa Powder

1/3 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

2 tsp Pure Vanilla

4 eggs

1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup

¼ cup of dark chocolate morsels

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2. Combine coconut flour and cocoa powder
3. Whisk in the pumpkin, coconut oil, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend well.
4. Pour batter into a 9 x 9 greased pan.
5. Sprinkle a handful of dark chocolate morsels on top before putting in the oven. Bake for 28-35 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean.
6. Let cool completely before removing from pan

Juna Eleanor

Welcome to the world sweet little one!
Juna Eleanor Carlson

Oh, hi!

I am not even going to try to give excuses as to why I haven't blogged in over a year but now that baby #2 is on the way I felt it very important to be able to share her growing with our family and friends that no longer live near us. So stay tuned...

P.S. This is me at 6 months pregnant!