Healthy: Chewy Brownies

Healthy: Chewy Brownies

No, I'm not referring to this Chewy...although I'm sure he'd love these brownies too!

And while we're talking about Chewbacas, just take a look at this dog who has an extreme likeness to the above beasty. Adorable? Of course adorable!

This recipe has been in our family cook book for I know not how long, but there is a reason it's our go-to recipe for brownies! The original recipe isn't actually gluten free, but that was easily fixed! This recipe didn't yield extremely fluffy or big brownies, but smaller gooey, moist, chewy ones. Which I happen to like better than cake-texture brownies. But that's just my preference. 

Healthy: Chewy Brownies

1 stick butter

1/2 honey

1 c. sprouted spelt flour

1 t. vanilla

3 tblsp. cocoa powder

3 eggs

1/4 t. salt

1 c. nuts (optional)

Bake 20 minutes at 350F.

Simply mix wet ingredients together and then add in your dry ones, pour in pan, bake, and voila! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy....OK done now.

We had some friends over for the afternoon and I needed a quick treat that I could mix up in a couple minutes.

Anything chocolate is generally accepted extremely well by small individuals (a.k.a children).

The kids gobbled these up like nobody's business.

Of course, we adults did help them out..a scosh. ;)

As with pretty much all healthy desserts and foods, I found these brownies very filling.

I love how the texture came out on these! I adore chewy foods..yes I do indeed!

 So make this delightful dainty very soon and enjoy it's chewy texture and delicious flavor as much as I did!

 Blessings - 

~ Chewbaca

Gluten Free: Healthy Donut Holes

Gluten Free: Healthy Donut Holes

Craving something sweet, delicious and healthy? Here is the perfect bite sized treat that will satisfy your sweet-tooth.

~ Healthy Donut Holes ~

1/3 cup coconut flour 

 1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 pastured eggs
1/4 cup coconut oil

Topping:

1/4 cup coconut sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp coconut oil

1. Pre-heat oven to 350°. Combine ingredients in a mixing bowl or food processor and mix well.

2. Set up a mini muffin tin with muffin liners (I used wax paper liners).

3. Roll small amounts of the dough into little balls and place in the muffin liners. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

4. Melt coconut oil and set aside. Combine coconut sugar and cinnamon on a plate.

5. Take each donut hole and brush with a little bit of coconut oil. Roll the donut hole in the cinnamon sugar. Repeat with all the donut holes.

 One recipe made about 24 (2 dozen) donuts. I never know if I'm going to like recipes that use coconut flour or not. Generally I do, but sometimes the flour gives off an odd taste when mixed with certain ingredients, but I'm happy to say that this recipe wasn't one of those. These were scrumptious! We ate most of them before they even cooled. I had to tell everyone to keep out of them long enough for me to do a photo-shoot with them! We will defiantly be making this again. I hope you enjoy.

I found some mini muffin liners, along with some miniature muffin tins. How quaint!

Dough, all mixed together.

Rolled and placed in muffin liners.

You know how wonderful I am at reading directions, I didn't comprehend that I was supposed to brush them with coconut oil and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar. I mixed them all together and rolled them in that, so the sugar didn't stick on as well as I'd hoped. But oh well. One learns by one's mistakes...normally.

Fresh out of the oven!

They should have crackly tops when ready.

Rolled in cinnamon sugar, yummo!

These make a lovely treat to serve to house-guests or for a quick and simply treat for yourself! (I love quick and simply and healthy treats!)

 

I find recipes that use coconut flour to be very filling, and these little donuts are no exception! I only managed to wulf down about three before I was stuffed.

So enjoy these as breakfast, with your afternoon tea, or for a midnight snack!

 Blessings - 

~ Aspen

Recipe courtesy of:

http://healyeatsreal.com/coconut-flour-donut-holes/

I used her instructions, and added in a few of my own things, but the recipe credit goes to her. 

Garden Compost and Bunnies

Garden Compost and Bunnies

The bunny hutch was in need of a good cleaning, so we dumped all of their lovely compost into the garden! Marvelous yes? Of course marvelous!

Mom and I would like to conduct an experiment, by using different composts in each raised bed and see if any of our various compost grows better plants, produces more produce, etc.

These two beds have rabbit compost. Next we will do some raised beds using duck, goose, and cow compost. Exciting!!

The bunbuns want to know where all their bedding went off to??

I brought them some fresh alfalfa hay and they spent the rest of the afternoon digging through it, rubbing against it (<an odd habit they started recently), and eating it..of course. ;)

Oh and lets not forget frolicking! Frolicking is a must when you have a clean hutch!

I will let you all know how the experiment goes.

What kind of compost do you use on your garden?

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

Pride & Prejudice, Incubators, and Every Good Thing!

Pride & Prejudice, Incubators, and Every Good Thing!

Spring is in the air! Want to know how I know? Because the flies have returned, the red ants are back, everything is shedding it's winter coat, AND my incubators are going!! Egg-citing yes? Of COURSE YES!

I've been longing to see Pride & Prejudice again. We managed to squeeze in the 6 hr long version of it over the past few days. Ah! How I love that movie! I can't decide who my favorite character is...Mrs. Bennet or Mr. Bingley??? Actually, that question isn't very hard! ;) 

Mr. Darcy is tolerable, I suppose...but not near dashing enough to tempt me!  

 

 If you are unfamiliar with Pride & Prejudice, then STOP reading this post IMMEDIATELY and go watch the BBC 1995 version of it. I will be timing you!!

six

.....

hours

.........

 later

................

OK, finished watching it? Good! Excellent! Stupendous! I'm proud of you! :)

In case you missed the moral of the story, this basically sums it up.

Unless of course you are Mrs. Bennet, then by all means proceed into hysterics and tell Hill to fetch you a case of smelling salts. You're sure gonna need'em! ;) 

We did some switching around in my room, and I now have a lovely desk to put my laptop on, hold all my random papers that somehow seem to collect on all clean surfaces, to hold incubators, eggs, and everything nice!

 I have two incubators running! In my room to be exact. In my room? Are you crazy? Me: Possibly! But only the best of us are!

I can no longer hear my geese honking and carrying on at all hours of the night. Instead I get to listen to the low hummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

of my incubators. Fantastic yes? Of course fantastic yes!

BREAKING EGGCITING NEWS!!

I got my first Sebastopol egg two days ago! It's the middle egg in the below picture. Debating on whether I should hatch it..or sell it? My mind tells me..hatch hatch hatch hatch hatch hatch hatch! 

I found another Sebastopol egg in their nighttime stall, but alas it was soft shelled. BooHoo!

I am up way past my bedtime so I'm going to hit the hay. I have a long day tomorrow and need to get some hatching eggs mailed off first thing.

Later, Cheers, and have a Jolly Good Night!

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

Preening and Such Things

Preening and Such Things

On a warm, windy evening, what better thing to do than preen yourself?

Well unless your a big 'ole fat Sussex hen...no names will be mentioned..then you can just lounge around whilst everyone around you is beautifying themselves.

I'm afraid my poor Muscovys are in dire need of a trip to the beauty salon.

Dawn, Big Boy, and Margret are all going through a molt, excluding Hershey.

I think they are very conscious of their looks.

They spent the better half of an hour preening themselves.

Meanwhile, Margret is trying to drink dribblets (<my newly invented word) of water out of the fauset. Silly Maggie!

She seems to be quite determined in her task. Because what's the fun of drinking out of a big kiddie pool full of fresh water? None what so ever.

I do believe I own 2..

or shall I say 7 of the laziest chickens in the county, ;)

And for cutenesses sake, here is Gypsy.

She is cute, fuzzy, very fuzzy, and perfectly adorable.

She also is in dire need of a trip to the beauty salon.

Blessings - 

~ Aspen

West Texas Safari

West Texas Safari

We recently acquired a new vehicle, a red jeep. Upon the evening of it's arrival, we all (dog included) clambered into it and dad took us for a drive in the horse pasture.

The horses didn't know what to think at first and they took off at a high lope to the opposite end of the field. But then decided that we might have food and started chasing us.

We were surrounded by horses!!

Rusty was about to have a conniption fit.. 

he wanted to get out and chase the horses so bad he could hardly stand it!

But, instead he just sat in my lap, squooshing me in the process, and whining.

I felt like I was on an African safari!

It felt like I was in the John Wayne movie "Hatari"

QUICK! Where's my catching rope?? Where's my seat out on the front of the jeep?? MY GOGGLES!! 

Oh, look! There goes a rhinosaurus! 

In reality, the only animal I caught, sat on me during the whole trip. *sigh* Oh well, perhaps one day I shall catch myself an elephant, or even a giraffe.

Blessings - 

~ Aspen