This month, Hyacynth posted a Simple Swap challenge that was right up my alley: Swap out unhealthy fats for healthy ones (replace with coconut oil, if possible).

As you may (or may not) know, I like to use coconut oil in cooking and baking. For some reason I still get a little nervous each time I try it, even though it usually works very well. I hate to waste ingredients!

For this swap I chose to update a banana muffin recipe and replaced canola oil with coconut oil. I also couldn’t help switching the brown sugar for sucanat.

I know that canola oil is portrayed as a healthy oil, but I don’t believe it is! (I plan to write a post on why. But for now, read this).

On to the recipe:

Healthy Maple-Banana Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (sprouted flour would be even better)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup sucanat (sugar)
1/3 cup milk
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
4 mashed bananas
Optional extras:
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 – 1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup dried raisins
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Grease muffin pans with coconut oil.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon. Stir to combine well.

In a medium-sized bowl, place the maple syrup, sucanat, milk, vanilla, oil, and eggs. Whisk to combine.

Add the mashed bananas and stir to thoroughly combine.

Add  wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold in any extras (like walnuts). Don’t overmix the batter – it will result in tough muffins! No one wants tough muffins.

Pour batter into muffin tins, filling to just under the brim.

Bake for about 20 minutes (up to 30 minutes), until golden brown.

Take out of the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the muffin pan.

I’m sharing this post at Healthy 2day Wednesdays @ Day 2 Day Joys

This is the quickest yeast bread recipe I have ever come across. It only requires one rising instead of two, which means I can go from grain to hot, yummy bread in about an hour! (I also use a Bosch mixer which speeds things up a little.)

From my studies it seems that sourdough is one of the most healthful choices, but I am still learning how to make it with whole wheat flour (I only know how to successfully make it with white at the moment). So for the time being, the following is a regular feature in our home. It makes great toast and sandwiches!

Quickest Whole Wheat Bread

(Makes 2 loaves)

I use hard white wheat grain for the whole wheat flour. It has a lovely mild flavor and is one of the best choices when first transitioning the family over to whole wheat.

Ingredients

3 cups warm water

2 tablespoons gluten

6 tablespoons sugar/sucanat/honey/molasses

6 tablespoons oil  (I use safflower or melted coconut oil)

7 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon yeast

Method

In a 1 cup-measuring cup add 1 tablespoon honey or sugar/sucanat , yeast and ¼ cup of warm water. Stir to combine and allow to sit for 5 minutes.

It should look a little like this after 5 minutes (probably less puffy. I had to hunt for my camera after the 5 minutes was up. So this got a little out of control):

Meanwhile, place 4 cups flour, gluten, and  salt into a large mixing bowl.

Next add the remaining sugar or honey, remaining water, and oil.

Turn on mixer briefly to allow all ingredients to combine.

Add the yeast mixture.

Turn on the mixer and begin adding the remaining flour a ½ cup at a time.  Do this until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You may use all 7 cups of flour, but you may use a little less or a little more.

You will know you have the right amount of flour once the sides of the bowl start to look clean. Like this:

Once you reach this stage, knead the dough for another 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, turn the oven to 200 degrees F. Once the temperature has been reached, allow to remain heated for 2 minutes, then turn oven off.

Shape dough into two loaves and place into two greased loaf pans.

Place loves into the warm oven and set timer for 15 minutes.

Once timer goes off, the loaves should be doubled in size. If not, leave for another 5 minutes.

Turn oven to 350 degrees F and bake bread for 25 minutes.

Remove bread from the oven and rub the tops of each loaf with butter. This is optional, but so yummy.

After a few minutes, take loaves from pans and place on a cooling rack.

Enjoy!

Nothing says fall to me like freshly picked apples!

I planned to share an applesauce recipe with you, but there are so many great tutorials on the web already, it seemed a bit redundant to add another here. So, after you’ve made (or bought) some appleauce, you might enjoy this healthy treat: Applesauce cake.

This cake is made with whole food ingredients and whispers Fall with each bite.

Applesauce Cake

Method

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Stir together the flour, soda, baking powder, and spices.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and beat until combined, then  add a cup of the dry ingredients, then add 1/4 cup of the applesauce and stir to incorporate.

Continue alternating wet and dry ingredients.

Add the raisins, walnuts, and vanilla and stir to distribute evenly.

Pour  into a greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a  toothpick comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan and turn onto a plate or serving platter.

Leave the cake unfrosted for a tasty, quick-bread snack. If you would like more of a dessert feel, drizzle with you favorite cream cheese frosting. I love this Maple cream cheese frosting from Smitten Kitchen. The original recipe calls for the cake to be dusted with powdered sugar (which is not a real food ingredient! So you make the call of that one).

Visit the other High Five Moms:

Andie @ Happy Andersons

Jasmine @ Ponder the Path

Brandy @ The Marathon Mom

Keri Mae @ The Happy Home

This post is being shared at Raising Homemakers and Real Food Wednesday.

Sometimes a light and healthy, no-fuss dessert is in order. I have just the one.

Warm summer evenings (or afternoons) are perfect for enjoying this fruity yogurt dessert. Well, actually, just about any time of day would be good. I’d eat if for breakfast!

This sweet treat couldn’t be easier to make; five ingredients gently stirred together and chilled. That’s it.

This recipe uses blueberries and cherries, which is lovely, but I’m sure we could come up with lots of other delicious combinations, like banana and strawberry, or peach and raspberry, or blackberry and mango, or . . . (I’m sure there is a way to add chocolate to this as well!)

Fruited Yogurt Dessert with Blueberries and Cherries

1 cup blueberries, washed
1 cup cherries, washed, pitted and sliced
3 cups plain yogurt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla paste
a drizzle of maple syrup to taste

Measure yogurt into a medium bowl.

Add vanilla and maple syrup and gently stir to blend.

Add blueberries and cherries and fold carefully to distribute somewhat evenly.

Chill.

Serve chilled in small dishes.

This tastes so fresh and healthy. I’ve been eating it intermittently over the past few days and am addicted!

What other fruit combination do you think would go well in a fruited yogurt dessert?

This post is participating in the  Flu-Fighting Foods Link-up (featuring probiotics) at The Purposed Heart.

This is a sweet (but not too sweet) desert or snack made from real food ingredients. It is a new family favorite and one I feel pretty good about feeding my kids (and myself).

This bar stays soft and chewy (which we like). It is also egg-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free (if you buy gluten-free oats). (The only thing you might need to be careful of is the chocolate you use. We chose a nice dark chocolate and it didn’t have any dairy in it.)

Chocolate Coconut Oat Bars

This recipe was adapted from one found in the February 2011 issue of Delicious Living magazine (Basically, I took out the agave and replaced it with honey and maple syrup. I also replaced natural cane sugar with Sucanat and reduced the amount a little).

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats (package must say gluten-free)
1 cup ground almonds or almond meal
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup sucanat
1/2 to 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips or roughly chopped chocolate

Method

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine oats, coconut, ground almonds, and cocoa powder.

In a saucepan combine coconut oil, honey, maple syrup, and sucanat. Heat over medium heat and stir until sucanat is dissolved. Don’t boil. Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients. Stir until well blended.

Allow mixture to cool slightly. Once cool, add chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and stir through (do this step quickly so that the chocolate doesn’t melt).

Press mixture into an ungreased 8 by 8 inch baking dish.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely before slicing into squares.

This post is participating in Fight Back Friday at Food Renegade. Be sure to visit for lots of real food information and recipes.

And also Mnday Mania @ The Healthy Home Economist – Lots of yummy things there too!

A few years ago I discovered what my family deems to be the best peanut butter recipe EVER! It is based on the nut butter recipe from Nourishing Traditions, except I haven’t made the time to soak and dehydrate the peanuts yet (as recommended in the book). In fact, I like them roasted.

The great thing about this recipe is that it calls for coconut oil. Coconut oil hardens below 76 degrees F.

While this might be frustrating for some when storing the homemade nut butter in the fridge, it is perfect for using as a snack for babies and toddlers.

Here’s why…

The coconut oil makes the nut butter solid. This allows it to be broken into little chunks that can be picked up by tiny fingers.

The coconut oil melts in the mouth very quickly too. So kids have no problem eating this. My youngest daughter (15 months) and nephew (18 months) LOVE it. I make it with almonds for my daughter since I suspect a peanut allergy. (A reader also used cashews with great success.)

Just break it up, put in the tray and away they go!

Because the recipe includes a little honey, I wait until babies are over 1 year before I share it with them (the honey could be left out if necessary).

If you thought you had to wait until your babes were a lot older to share delicious nuts with them, think again! And I just love the fact they we don’t have to eat Jif or Skippy! That’s my kind of fun.

This post is participating in the Hearth and Soul Blog Hop and Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist. I encourage you to visit.

Some of the links above are affiliate links.

A unique sweet bread that is perfect for gift giving. Bursting with cranberries and nuts, this loaf has an undeniable holiday feel.

The recipe includes cheese, but doesn’t taste like cheese! I promise.

Cranberry Cheese Bread

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup Sucanat
½ stick butter
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
¼ cup orange juice
1 Tablespoon grated orange zest
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 cup shredded cheese
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix sucanat, butter, and egg with an electric beater. Add the buttermilk, orange juice, orange zest, and vanilla, beat until fully incorporated.

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir to combine.

Add cranberries, nuts, and cheese. Stir until evenly mixed. This will make a very thick batter.

Divide batter evenly between two well-greased loaf pans. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (mine took an hour).

Cool completely before slicing.

Freezes well.

Soaking Method:

If you wish to soak the flour before baking (to reduce phytic acid), then mix melt the butter and mix with the flour and buttermilk. Let sit out, covered, for about 12-24 hours.

When ready to cook, beat the sucanat, orange juice, zest, egg, and vanilla together. Mix into the soaked dough. This is very difficult to do by hand! At least for me it was. I had to break out the Bosch and mix in there with the dough hook.

Once incorporated, add the baking powder, soda, and salt. Stir well. Add the nuts, cheese and cranberries and proceed as directed above.

I’ve submitted this recipe to the Hearth and Soul Hop at A Moderate Life. Which always hosts a large number of interesting and delicious recipes. I recommend you hop on over for a visit.

I also added this post to the Whole Foods for the Holidays – Bread Dishes over at A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. Part id the Real Food Progressive Dinner! Fun.

Healthy and nutritious. We really enjoyed these cookies!

This recipe is adapted from Sue Gregg’s Kamut cookie recipe in her Dessert book (page 102).

½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup (1 stick) organic butter
1 egg
1 cup Sucanat (evaporated whole sugar cane juice) Read more about Sucanat here
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2/3 cup wheat flour (freshly ground if possible) This is where you could use kamut.
11/2 cups rolled oats, ground to make 1 cup.
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup oats (old-fashioned, not quick cooking)
½ cup chocolate chips or bar broken into pieces
½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Step 1:
Put cranberries in a bowl and cover with water. This will soften them.
Grind oats into a fine powder. I use a coffee grinder, a blender also works.
Set aside.

Step 2:

Place butter, egg, sucanat, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk to blend.
(As you stir these you will be amazed at how good it smells! It is the sucanat).

Step 3:

Mix together flour, ground oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Pour into wet ingredients and stir.

Step 4:

Drain cranberries and add to batter. Also add oats, chocolate chips, and nuts. Stir to combine.

Step 5:
Drop tablespoons full onto a parchment lined cookie sheet. Allow room for spreading.
Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet immediately and allow to cool.

My kids gobbled these up. They are tasty, but not too sweet.

You could try all kinds of additions to this recipe: raisins, other nuts, other dried fruit, more chocolate…

This recipe is linked to Heavenly Homemakers. Click over to add yours!

The basic recipe contains coconut milk, bananas, cocoa powder, maple syrup and vanilla. It is sweet, but not too sweet.  Creamy, cold and chocolatey, it’s perfect for a summer afternoon.

The ingredient amounts may vary to suit your tastes, and the liquid portion is adaptable to whatever you have on hand.

Originally made with half kefir and half coconut milk, I have also used  milk and yogurt, or coconut milk alone (a great non-diary alternative).

When using coconut milk, use whole milk.  Not lite!  When it comes to coconut, the fat is where it’s at! Whole coconut milk actually contains coconut oil, which is wonderful and healthy.  Coconut oil is a good fat. Don’t be scared.  Apparently it can help you lose weight by raising body temperature, boosting your metabolism.  It also supports thyroid function.

OK Stacy, just share the recipe already!

Alright, alright. Here goes….

(But I really will be posting more about the health benefits of coconut oil soon.)

Nutritious Chocolate Coconut Drink

As I said, this is an easily adaptable recipe.  The following is what I prepared for 2 adults and 2 small children. Servings were small (sorry I didn’t measure the exact amount, will do that tomorrow and update)

Ingredients

2 – 3 frozen bananas (can use un-frozen bananas too)

1 1/2 cups whole coconut milk (1 can)

-or 3/4 cup kefir and 3/4 cup coconut milk
-or 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup yogurt
-or 3/4 cup milk and 3/4 cup coconut milk
-or try using coconut kefir
-or use 1 1/2 cups of kefir or milk

3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (can add more for stronger/darker chocolate flavor)

1/2 to 1 Tablespoon maple syrup (adjust to desired sweetness)

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Method

Place all ingredients in blender.  Blend until thick and creamy and well-combined.

I came across this recipe a few years ago on one of my favorite blogs, High Desert Home.  Susan, the author, no longer blogs there, but has graciously left her work for us to read and enjoy. I learned a lot from Susan and highly recommend you visit her blog!

This post is linked to Two for Tuesdays and Tuesday Twister.  Visit both for more real food recipes!

Mmm Yum!

The first time I made this peanut butter, my daughter and I just stood around eating it by the spoonful exclaiming, “This is the best peanut butter ever!”

If you are not yet making your own peanut butter, I encourage you to give it a try.  It is very simple and so much better for you than the store bought kind full of hydrogenated oils.

The following is adapted from the Nut Butter recipe in Nourishing Traditions and can be used to make other nut butters (like almond or cashew butter).

Although I have not yet done so, soaking the nuts in salt water overnight and then dehydrating is recommended.  This increases their nutritional value and makes the nuts easier to digest.  I plan to do this in the near future and will update here with the results.  I love the taste of roasted nuts and wonder how I would like this peanut butter without that added flavor.

This peanut butter needs to be refrigerated and will become quite hard.  However, since coconut oil liquifies around 76 degrees, it softens up rather quickly.  It can be removed from the fridge a little while before it’s needed, scoop a little into a bowl and let soften there or spread some of the hard butter on warm toast and it will become soft.

My favorite part of this recipe is the inclusion of coconut oil.  It is so good for you! The honey and salt also make sur eit is anything from boring!

Nourishing Peanut Butter

2 cups peanuts ( I like mine roasted.  However, soaking and dehydrating is the most nutritious – instructions are at the end of this post)

3/4 cup coconut oil (I purchase unrefined, organic coconut oil from Mountain Rose Herbs. They have the best price I’ve seen anywhere)

2 Tablespoons raw honey

1 teaspoon sea salt ( I use Celtic Sea Salt®, Fine Ground)

Method

Put nuts and sea salt in food processor.  Grind until nuts become a fine powder, like so:

Add coconut oil (melted on very low heat if solid) and honey.  Blend until smooth.

The peanut butter will be quite runny at this point, but will harden once placed in the fridge.  Before refrigeration, the butter is perfect as a dipping sauce for apples and such (shown above). Oh, perhaps it could be used for Gado Gado too!  (Yum, love that stuff.)

Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.  This recipe makes enough to fill a one-pint canning jar.

Instructions for soaking and dehydrating peanuts for this recipe:

Place 2 cups raw peanuts (skinless) in a jar with 1/2 Tablespoon of sea salt.  Cover nuts with filtered water and let sit for 7 hours, or overnight.  Drain, spread on a baking pan and put into a warm oven of no more than 150 degrees F for 12 to 24 hours.  Occasionally turn the nuts over, leaving in the oven until completely dry.  Alternately the nuts could be dried in a dehydrator.

I’m linking this post to Two for Tuesdays.  A fun blog hop full of great recipes, hosted by some lovely ladies!  Go check it out!