Rustic Sourdough Carrot Cake

Hello friends!

I am over at the Grain Mill Wagon sharing my yummy Rustic Sourdough Carrot Cake today. I made this cake for my Daddio's birthday and it was a yummy success!

Also, have you seen my Sourdough Focaccia Bread? You should, it's simply delicious and I love soaking up my sauces with this bread.

Have a wonderful day! Hugs!

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Sourdough Focaccia Bread

Last week I shared my Sourdough Focaccia Bread over at the Grain Mill Wagon.

Life has been a little hectic and I didn't have time to let you all know last week, sorry!

As always... better late, then never!

Go check out my Sourdough Focaccia Bread and if you have a sourdough starter sitting in your kitchen... make a batch of it!

It is SO good!

Have a great day!

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Honey Orange Marmalade Sourdough Rolls

With wonderful bursts of citrusy tartness and creamy sweetness... I have to say these were the BEST rolls I have ever made and I’m totally serious.

I'm not the kind of person who goes around saying "these are the best ever" to anything that tastes good.

No, I save that for the best and these rolls are the best... actually, they are way beyond the best.

They are... delectable.

Slathered with my homemade Chai-Spiced Honey Orange Marmalade (will share the recipe with you soon!), these rolls pair up fantastically with honey & almond butter.

There is just something amazing about the combination of tangy orange marmalade, raw honey & creamy almond butter with anything sourdough.

I discovered this finger-licking combo several months back and simply adore slathering them on sourdough pancakes, english muffins, waffles, butter biscuits and now… rolls!

Oh sweet, delicious rolls!





Yep, I'm convince it is way better than the strawberry cinnamon rolls I made after I first started using sourdough.

Tart, sweet, citrusy...

Sweet goodness! I am going to end up repeating myself trying to explain why it's so dang good… guess you will have to go make these rolls yourself to find out just how good they are.

Honey Orange Marmalade Sourdough Rolls

Dough
1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 cup milk, cultured dairy, coconut milk or water
1/4 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil (not hot)
1 teaspoon vanilla or orange extract
2 - 3 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Honey Glaze

1/3 cup butter or coconut oil

1/3 cup honey

In a medium bowl or KitchenAid mixture (using dough hook), mix together sourdough starter and milk. Add in rapadura, butter and extract. Stir well. Start with adding 2 cups of whole wheat flour and stir/knead to combine. Take the dough out of the bowl if you are kneading it by hand.

While watching and feeling your dough, add in more flour until you have a dough that is smooth and firm, but not dry. Put the dough back in the bowl, cover and set it aside to sour for 8 hours or more (less if you have a very warm kitchen).

Preheat your oven to 375 F and put the oven rack in the middle slot of your oven.

Add butter to a 9 inch square or circle baking pan. Put it in the oven while it is preheating to melt the butter/oil. Once melted, take out and add in the honey. Set aside.

While your oven is preheating, pull your soured dough out of the bowl and flatten it with your hands. Sprinkle on 1 tsp each of sea salt, baking soda and baking powder. Turn the dough into itself a few times and knead it for about 3 to 5 minutes. Focus on incorporating the 3 dry ingredients.

Once it feels all combined, roll your dough into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick. You can make it thicker, but then it will be really 'bready'. Take care not to let it roll out too thin that it breaks apart as you roll it up.


Orange Marmalade Filling
Butter or coconut oil, softened
Orange Marmalade
Honey

This is where I simply eye-balled it. You really can't have too much filling in your rolls. At least that's my opinion  :o)

If you really need measurements, start with 1/2 stick of butter, a cup of marmalade and 1/4 cup honey. If you think you want more... go ahead! Just remember you've got sweetener in the dough, spread on the dough and underneath the dough as it bakes.

Spread the butter/oil onto the dough. Drop spoonfuls of marmalade and spread it out evenly. Drizzle the honey all over.

Now, carefully roll up the dough up tightly. Take a serrated knife and cut (using a careful sawing motion) the roll in half. Then into fourths and then cut each fourth into thirds. You should have about 12 evenly sized rolls. More or less.

Once cut, carefully move your rolls into the prepared baking pan. Have your rolls touching, but not crammed together. The slight touch causes them to rise up nicely. If you have extra rolls that won't fit in, simply put them in a prepared muffin pan or smaller baking pan.

Put the rolls in the oven and bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Check on them at 25 minutes to make sure they aren't already done.

When done, flip them onto a plate and serve immediately. They are delicious with creamy almond butter and more honey drizzled on top. Enjoy!!

Am I crazy or do you like this combination too?

Linked up at Simple Lives Thursday

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10 Favorite Chocolate Sweets For Your Valentine's Day

How many of you know the real story behind Valentine's Day?

This somewhat international holiday wasn't always about love, chocolate, strawberries and everything else that goes with Valentine's Day.

According to the Wikipedia, "St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her. Today, Saint Valentine's Day is an official feast day in the Anglican Communion, as well as in the Lutheran Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church also celebrates Saint Valentine's Day, albeit on July 6th and July 30th, the former date in honor of the Roman presbyter Saint Valentine, and the latter date in honor of Hieromartyr Valentine, the Bishop of Interamna (modern Terni).

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards."

Hmm, this is very interesting. There seems to be a pattern here... most of the holidays we celebrate start off as a Christian celebration to remember important people, but later became celebrations that have nothing to do with the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas and Easter are two examples of that... Santa Claus and Bunnies? Where did they come from?

Now that I know the real story behind Valentine's Day... I plan to tell my kids the real story behind this holiday.

Of course, we will still celebrate this holiday with some yummy chocolate sweets! Plus, it is my Daddio's birthday... but he usually requests a carrot cake, his all-time favorite.

I will make him my rustic sourdough carrot cake... along with a chocolate tart that I have been experimenting with. Will share that with you when its ready!

So... today I am sharing with you my top 10 favorite chocolate sweets. Hope you enjoy them!!

 Double Chocolate Velvet Pancakes

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Tip: Instead of using the Banana Love Sauce... top it with strawberry cream cheese and serve it with more fresh strawberries!

Aquacate del Chocolate

(sugar-free, gluten-free & diary-free)

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries. If you are throwing a party... serve this smooth, delicious pudding in avocado shells and top with strawberries & coconut flakes!

 Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

(diary-free & sugar-free options)

 Flourless Chocolate Almond Cookies

(gluten-free & diary-free)

 Bizarre Love Triangle Brownies

(sugar-free, gluten-free & dairy-free)

 Chocolate Coconut Sourdough Cake

Tip: Serve with fresh strawberries on top!

 Strawberry Cacao Milkshake

(sugar-free & diary-free option)

 Strawberry Coconut Muffins w/ Strawberry Cream Cheese

(gluten-free, dairy-free & sugar-free)

Tip: I know this isn't chocolate, but drizzling some homemade chocolate syrup on top would be just fab with this girlies... or chocolate chips!

Almund Joye Ice Cream

(sugar-free & dairy-free option)

Coconut Custard Cake

(gluten-free, sugar-free & dairy-free options)

Tip: Another none-chocolate recipe, but trust me... add chocolate chips in the batter and serve with fresh strawberries with more chocolate on top... a kiss on the lips goodness!

What are some of your favorite chocolate sweets?

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A Thanksgiving Breakfast: Spiced Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

What could be better on Thanksgiving morning than your standard pancake or waffle breakfast?

A nourishing baked oatmeal with fall spices, tangy cranberries, sweet apples and crunchy walnuts… oh yum!

To make it truly nourishing… I soak the rolled oats for about 24 hours and use nuts that have been soaked & dehydrated. When everything is properly prepared, not only does it taste delicious, but my tummy won’t feel like a brick is sitting there after eating my share.

We love the beautiful fall flavors in this oatmeal bake and I have to say this is our favorite “stateside” baked oatmeal… while the Strawberry Pineapple is our favorite Honduran baked oatmeal.  :o)

Enjoy it topped with lots of butter & pure maple syrup or raw honey! I also think some breakfast sausage & cheesy scrambled eggs will make a delicious brunch if you decide to have a late breakfast.

Spiced Cranberry Apple Baked Oatmeal

• 4 cups regular rolled oats
• 1/3 cup whey, raw apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or sourdough starter
• 6 cups water

Combine oats, choice of acid and water in a big bowl. Cover and let it soak overnight (if using sourdough) or up to 24 hours (using whey, vinegar or lemon juice).

NOTE: I usually use sourdough starter to soak my oatmeal overnight. I learned from my friend, Wardeh, at GNOWGFLINS that sourdough starter improves the effectiveness of soaking by adding phytase to reduce phytic acid and organisms to accomplish an overnight soaking effectively. Don't worry, it won't be sour as long as you drain and lightly rinse the oats in the morning!

• 1/3 cup lightly melted butter, coconut oil or olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups coconut milk or whole milk
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup rapadura or palm sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cloves
• 3/4 tsp sea salt
• 2 cups chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 apple, diced
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)

Morning arrives: preheat the oven to 375 F. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. Drain the oats through a fine sieve. Gently rinse and allow to drain while mixing together other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, mix together butter, milk, eggs, sweetener, vanilla, spices and sea salt. Add in cranberries, apple, walnuts and oats. Mix it all together gently, yet well.

Pour oatmeal mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Smooth out the top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. It should be golden brown when done. Insert a knife or toothpick, it should come out clean when the baked oatmeal is done.

Take baked oatmeal out of the oven and set it on a cooking rack. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes to set before cutting into bars.

Store leftovers in the fridge, but you can leave it out for a day.

Oatmeal bake makes a weekly appearance at our house… usually every Monday morning because it makes great leftovers throughout the week for snacks or a quick breakfast on the go.

I typically use whatever we have on hand (spices, fruits & nuts)… what are your favorite combinations? Please share below!

Shared at Simple Lives Thursday, Real Food Wednesday, Monday Mania, Fight Back Friday, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Frugal Days, Whole Food Wednesday, Not Just A Housewife, Chef In Training

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Sourdough Journal #14 - Preserving Your Thriving Sourdough Starter

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Have a great sourdough starter, but want to save some just in case it dies? Want to give some to a friend that lives a few states away? Need a long break from making sourdough or planning a long vacation this coming summer?


Dehydrating your starter is the way to go. 


Having dehydrated starter will come in handy "just-in-case" your fresh starter suddenly stops working, a family member (not familiar with your healthy, fermented food collection) tosses out your lively starter thinking it was food gone bad, a friend wants to try making sourdough (dried starter less messy to ship ~wink~), everybody is growing tired of sourdough (hope that doesn't happen with us!) or you are planning a month or two away from home.


These are many good reasons to preserve your sourdough for those "just-in-case" moments!


Storing your starter in the fridge is a good, simple solution for short vacations and weekly breaks, but when you need to store your starter for longer periods... dehydrating is the best way to go.


Its easy!


If you don't have a dehydrator... don't sweat it. You can do it without one!

I did this back before we left for our 2 1/2 month trip stateside and I'm so glad I did! I made the batch of dehydrated starter, but also left a small amount of live starter in a jar in the back of the fridge.

Well, guess what we found when we got back? Yep, an explosion... cracked jar with dried/wet, moldy starter all over the back of my fridge. I thought I let it settle down enough (dormant) before tightening the lid, guess not! It was truly a pain to clean up.


But I didn't worry because I had my dried starter in the freezer. I mix it up with some water and had a thriving sourdough in 2 days! Sweet!

Dehydrating Your Starter
All you need is:

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup of mature, thriving sourdough starter, fed within the last 12 hours (Allow the starter to build up before drying it out to be at a maximum level. I dehydrated mine after I fed it and left it alone for about 5 hours)
• Parchment paper or non-stick dehydrator sheet
• Dehydrator tray or baking sheet
• Dehydrator (optional)

Place the parchment paper on the dehydrator tray or baking tray. Spread starter in a very thin layer on the parchment paper. You can dry your starter in one of two ways:


In room temperature. Dry your starter in a clean area, at room temperature (between 70 to 80 degrees F) until dry. When it develops a dray skin on top, cover with a light cloth to keep dust and bugs off. If temps are much lower than the 70s, mold may be an issue. If temps are much higher than the 80s, the organisms may die.


In dehydrator. Put tray in dehydrator and turn the dial so that it is just barely turned on. Dry for about 6 to 10 hours, depending on thinness of the starter. Check it often if you can.


Now, when your starter is crispy dry... break into smaller pieces (you will now have "starter flakes" and transfer to a freezer bag or container. Store in freezer for up to a year (according to Sourdough A to Z eBook). We don't know for sure how long a dehydrated starter will last, but it would be best to repeat the process yearly with fresh starter.


That said, I'll most likely be dehydrating a batch of my starter every August! Better safe than sorry!


Rehydrating Your Starter
Mix together 2 hefty tablespoons of dehydrated starter flakes and 1/3 cup of water into a clean, quart size jar or medium/large glass bowl. Mix well. Allow the flakes to soften for about 5 minutes.


Add 1/3 cup of whole wheat or your choice of flour and mix vigorously. Get as much air into it as you can. Cover with a cloth towel and place in a warm area or room temp area for about 24 hours. The warmer the temperature, the quicker it will rehydrate and bubble up. Don't let the temps go beyond 85 degrees F if you can help it. The mixture may or may not be bubble after this first step, but don't stop there!


Mix in 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup flour. Mix vigorously to get air in. Cover and return to a warm spot for 12 hours.


Repeat this process every 12 to 24 hours until the starter is light and bubbly with a nice sour smell.


Now you should have a reactivated starter!


Your starter is considered reactivated when it continues to get light and bubbly for at least 3 good feedings. In cooler areas (like mine!), it may take longer... up to several days. But I did say up there that is was thriving after 2 days and this was during a very cool & rainy time in my area. My starter must have been very strong!


Now, go get your stuff together and get some starter preserved! Better now, then have regrets later  :o)

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Sourdough Journal #13: Chili Beef Sourdough Pot Pie

Honestly, I didn't like pot pie when I was a child and because of that... I never made pot pie for my family. Even though chicken pot pie is one of my hubby's favorite childhood comfort food, I couldn't get myself to make one.

Well, GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse changed all that!

I tried Wardee's recipe for Chili Beef Pot Pie and it was delicious and it tasted even better then next day for leftovers! I was very surprised how much I liked it. My hubby loved it and it was the first time that my oldest daughter asked for seconds! Of course, I was thrilled!

The crust was light and fluffy while the chili beef was creamy and tasty. I loved that the crust was SUPER EASY to make and there was no need to roll out the crust. Just simply slap the dough on that skillet!

Now I should get going on finding a good chicken pot pie recipe. Anybody got one to share with me? If I find a good recipe and make some changes... I'll make sure to share it with y'all!!

I would like to share this recipe, but it is not my own and it comes from Wardee's Sourdough ebook, which has copyrights. SO, If you would like to try Wardeh's Chili Beef Pot Pie, go buy her wonderful Sourdough A to Z eBook which includes a lifetime of updates!

Have a wonderful day and be sure to check out the new upcoming Fundamentals II eCourse! Seriously great stuff that you don't want to miss!!

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Sourdough Journel #12: Delicious Sourdough Cookies

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Have you checked out the great deals at GNOWFGLINS? With any of your purchases of classes, menus, ebooks and videos... you will get up to 5 free thank you videos (value $10!).

THROUGH NEW YEAR'S DAY (Monday 11/28/11 at 10pm thru 1/1/12) you can get:

   • Any 5 thank you videos with a yearly subscription

   • Any 2 thank you videos with a monthly recurring subscription

   • Any 1 thank you video with a single month subscription

I seriously can't say enough good things about Wardeh's wonderful e-courses! They have been so simple and easy to follow. So fun, too! Thank you Wardee!!!

So... 


I mentioned two weeks ago that I have TWO different cookie recipe to share with you all. I am hooked on making my cookies with sourdough now!


I love it because I can now serve cookies knowing that they are much healthier and we don't feel sick after eating a cookie or two.


For a long time I've made our family favorite - Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies - and they were healthy, for the most part... except the oatmeal part. I find that when I don't soak our oatmeal... we feel pretty yucky afterwards. Especially if we eat too much of it, which is hard not to because they are so good!


So, when I learned that I could change my recipe a little and add in the sourdough into the dough to help break down the oatmeal... I was all for trying it out!


Our first batch was gone in one night.


I kid you not!


Yeah, it was so good with some fresh milk and we didn't have that ache in our stomaches after having one too many cookies. Yeaaaa!

Stuffed Oatmeal Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)
1 1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 - 1 cup rapadura or coconut sugar
3/4 tsp sea salt
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 cups dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips (sometimes I throw in 3 cups!)
1-2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
1-2 cups dried fruit (optional)


In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.


In a small bowl mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt,  optional cinnamon and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in your chocolate chips, nuts, coconut flakes and optional dried fruit. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.


Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Next I wanted to make some unique sourdough cookies for a Thanksgiving Potluck that we were invited to go. We met a lot of missionaries and made some new friends.


It was a little too crazy and loud for me, but I was glad to see that people were enjoying my cookies! I made them pan-style so I didn't have to spend hours laboring over every drop of dough and cookie to make enough for 80+ people  ;o)


I started off following the recipe from the Sourdough eCourse for Molasses Ginger cookies, but then realized I didn't have molasses. So, I used honey instead and started changing up the recipe from there.


The final touch was the orange zest... oh my sweet goodness! I actually threw that in there in the last minute because I felt that it needed something.


Wish I had a picture because they looked pretty & yummy!

Cranberry Orange Spice Sourdough Cookies

1 cup sourdough

1 cup butter, melted

2 cups whole wheat flour (plus more, if needed, to get a stiff batter)

1-2 cups oatmeal

scant 1/4 cup raw honey

1/2 - 3/4 cup rapadura or coconut sugar

3/4 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp cloves

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger
1-2 Tbsp orange zest (I used a whole orange's worth of zest!)
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1-2 cups dried cranberries, chopped
1-2 cups walnuts, chopped

In a medium size bowl stir together the sourdough starter and butter. Add 1 cup of flour and the oatmeal. Stir to incorporate. Continue adding flour until you have a thick dough. You may need more or less flour, depending on your starter consistency and your flour choice. Cover and allow to sour for 8 or more hours.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and lightly grease your baking sheets.

In a small bowl mix together the honey, eggs, sugar, vanilla, sea salt, cloves, cinnamon, ginger, orange zest and baking powder. Pour mixture on top of your soured dough. You will need to get both of your hands in the bowl and use a squeezing motion to break up the very firm dough or use a thick, strong fork (that's what I do). Stir until free of lumps and of one mind, stir in cranberries and walnuts. Then sprinkle on the baking soda. Stir well to incorporate.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (about 15 minutes in my higher altitude) OR spread the whole batter in the cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes or until lightly brown around the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container. Enjoy! 

Have a beautiful Christmas everyone!


PS- don't forget to enter for a chance to win some fabulous cookbooks (check it out here & here)!!

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