Recipe: No Powdered Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting

The Search

In my attempt to move further and further away from using refined foods, I made a mouth watering cream cheese frosting for my daughter’s birthday cake.

Cream cheese frosting is so easy to make and has an amazing, unique flavor! I got so many requests for the recipe that I thought I’d share it here for everyone.

They Loved It!

Lillian’s birthday party guests could not got enough of it. These young ladies asked for seconds and even asked for the recipe to take home! One sweet girl said she never eats the frosting on cake and that she LOVED this frosting. I agree with her, I don’t care for most frostings as they are too sweet and I can taste that horrid dye!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter (If I have it on hand, I use Purity Farm Organic Ghee, Clarified Butter, 13-Ounce and if not, I use Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter – Unsalted (8 ounce))
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (I use Big Tree Farms Organic Coconut Sugar, Blonde, 16-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6)) (Update 1.17.16: I play around with the amount of coconut sugar. I measure 3/4 of a cup and then slowly add it in until it’s at a desired sweetness. It’s always different!)
1 cup cream cheese
1/2 tsp. vanilla (I use Simply Organic Pure Vanilla Extract — 4 fl oz)

Directions:

Cream butter and sugar. Add cream cheese and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Since coconut sugar is being used instead of fine powdered sugar, let the frosting rest for about 10 minutes several times. Keep mixing until it’s smooth, silky, and a beautiful medium blonde color.

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Other Ideas

I made this frosting to top our almond cookies too. Oh my goodness! YUM! Try it on all your favorite cookies and cakes.

*I cheated for the actual cake. I used a gluten free cake mix; which I didn’t like as much as others I’ve tasted. When I find one I like or find a recipe I like I’ll post it on the blog.

Happy 13th Birthday Beautiful Lillian!

Blessings,
Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

Amazing news! My 17 year old daughter, Lillian Darnell’s debut book, “Where Would You Fly and Other Magical Stories” is arriving January 2018. Learn more and order here

Wonderfully exciting news! My 13 year old son, Thomas Darnell‘s book, Biggest Little Photographer is published. Be inspired! Learn more and order here.

(To help support my blogging I will include an Amazon link to items I use. I LOVE sharing my journey and choices with you and this just helps to keep me going!) 

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Recipe: Healthier Homemade Cranberry Sauce

I grew up eating can shaped jellied cranberry sauce every Thanksgiving and Christmas. It’s clear why many of us choose to continue eating this version. It’s sweetness and texture is like eating ultra sweet jelly with a slight hint of cranberry flavor. Another factor that’s possibly even more powerful is the nostalgic feeling and fond memories of childhood holidays that always included canned cranberry sauce.

Prominently on the ingredient list is sugar, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. About a year ago I quit serving food to my family that had the last two ingredients. A quick search online will reveal why it’s not kind to our body to keep ingesting this stuff.

I have been making homemade cranberry sauce for at least 10 years or more. However, I had been using plain white sugar. In the last year, I have been eliminating white sugar from our diet. It’s not totally gone, but I’ve made great strides!

Here’s how I did it this year:

Homemade Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients:

1 Cup Organic Coconut Palm Sugar
1 Cup Water or Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
One 12 ounce Bag of Cranberries (preferably organic)

Directions:

Thoroughly rinse the cranberries of any debris
Add the sugar and water (or juice) in a medium sauce pan
Bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
Add the cranberries and simmer until the cranberries begin to pop (the absolute coolest thing!!)
Remove from heat, place in a beautiful serving bowl and let cool
Once cooled place in the fridge until ready to use
*It’s best to make this the day before you plan to eat it.

I don’t know if it was just that I was pleased with myself for not using white sugar or if the substitution really made a difference, but these cranberries tasted like the best I’d ever made. I even bought another package so I could make them again!!

I had a small bowl of Trader Joe’s French Vanilla ice cream with a spoonful of the cranberry sauce the night I made it. So GOOD! I’ve been eating the left over cranberry sauce in my oatmeal and on my toast (a spoonful at a time).

Coconut palm sugar has a glycemic rating of 35 and refined white sugar has a rating somewhere between 58-68.

If you like this recipe you may also like my Almond Cookie Recipe! Happy and Mindful Eating Y’all!

(To help support my blogging I will include an Amazon link to items I use or you will see google ads from time to time. I LOVE sharing my journey and choices with you and this just helps to keep me going!) 

Recipe: Homemade French Fries

We LOVE fries in The Team TLC Casa. However, I don’t love the frozen version in the grocery store. They have so many added ingredients. The frozen fries with the least amount of ingredients I have found are at Trader Joe’s. They only have about two or three ingredients but sugar is one of them. I’ll have our fries without sugar, thank you!

Here’s how I make the perfect home made fries for us. This also works with sweet potatoes … which are simply delicious!! In addition, I have made carrot fries using this recipe!

Homemade French Fries

Ingredients:

3 good sized organic medium Russet potatoes (or however many your family will eat .. I just guessed at first. Now I know we will eat about 3 medium potatoes between us.)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – I use Trader Joe’s Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil (amazon affiliate link)
Sunflower Seed Oil – I use Trader Joe’s brand Sunflower Seed Oil.
Coconut oil, softened – I use Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (amazon affiliate link)
Olive Oil or Coconut Oil Pan Spray – I use Trader Joe’s Extra Virgin Italian Olive Oil Spray and Trader Joe’s Coconut Oil Non Stick Cooking Spray (amazon affiliate links)
Sea salt to taste
Garlic Powder to taste
White Pepper to taste
I’ve also used Cumin and Onion Powder. Have fun with this. Get creative and make a different flavor every time!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425˚. Use a small knife like the one pictured above to peel the potatoes. Next use a BIG knife to slice the potato into whatever size french fries your family likes. We like skinny. There are two reasons I prefer to do this the old-fashioned way instead of using fancy gadgets. I like simplicity and I don’t want those gadgets cluttering my cabinets and drawers and I like that not all the fries are the same size. I like fries more on the crisp side, Lillian likes them more on the soft side and Thomas doesn’t really care! This covers all three of us! As you are slicing add the fries to a medium bowl filled with cold water.

Allow the fries to rest in the water until you are ready to cook them. When you are ready to prep them, lay out an absorbent dish towel. Rinse the fries good and then pour them onto the towel to remove excess moisture. Use a paper towel or clean dish towel to dry the potato slices and the bowl. Pour them back into the bowl.

Add a drizzle or glug of olive oil, some shakes of salt and whatever other spice you are using and mix well. Add a drizzle or glug of sunflower seed oil and shake of salt and mix again. I like to use coconut oil too. I mix it up.

Next, I spread aluminum foil over a big pizza pan and spray with either Olive Oil or Coconut Pan Spray. I’ve not tried this without the aluminum foil so don’t know if they would stick to a pan without it. Then pour the fries onto the pan and spread them apart. Place in the oven and set a timer for 20 minutes. Check the fries at that time and I also add a little more salt at this time. Keep checking them every 5 minutes after this until done to your families liking. Should be another 10-15 minutes.

Thomas LOVES dipping his in Trader Joe’s Organic Ketchup (amazon affiliate link) … I love this ketchup too. It does have sugar but we don’t use much so it doesn’t add much sugar to our meals. Thomas likes it on his sandwiches too!!!

Now! Enjoy those yummy taters y’all!

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Recipe: Chia Seed Pudding

These awesome little seeds are rich in dietary fiber, protein and Omega-3’s … in one little ole tablespoon! That’s a ton of nutrition naturally present in such a small serving!

I adapted this No Cook Chia Seed Pudding from the back of the package for Trader Joe’s Chia Seeds (amazon affiliate link) … which are also the Chia Seeds I buy.

Combine:

1/4 cup of Chia Seeds
1 Cup of Almond Milk (I use Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla. I’ve tried at least 4 or 5 different brands and I like this one the best.)
1/4 cup of local honey, agave syrup or Grade B Maple Syrup (I alternate on this so it will have a bit different taste each time. Try less even!)
Dash of Gluten-Free Vanilla Extract and or any other flavors, like citrus juices or a drop of your favorite essential oil. Experiment. Be creative! Get Wild! … and …. Have FUN!

Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours. Turns into a perfect no cook pudding!! Reminds me of tapioca pudding y’all!

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I also like sprinkling chia seeds on my salad and into my water! The chia seeds give the salad a great crunch. I LOVE the way they swell in the water and the texture and feel of the seeds when drinking my yummy Chia Seed Water!

 

Blessings,

Camilla
See It. Share It. BE IT … Spread Love Everywhere You Go!

Did you know I wrote a book? It’s titled “D iz for Different – One Woman’s Journey to Acceptance” and you can read more about it here.

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Recipe: Almond Flour Cookies

I’ve been making these gluten free almond flour cookies for over a year for our family and we LOVE them. Lillian is sensitive to gluten and lactose so she is on a gluten free diet and very low lactose diet. These are super easy to make and all three team members, Thomas, Lillian and Camilla, enjoy the taste and texture.

Classic Cookie (grain-free)

(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups almond flour – I use Trader Joe’s Just Almond Meal (1 lb) (amazon affiliate link)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil, softened – I use Trader Joe’s Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (amazon affiliate link)
1/2 teaspoon gluten free vanilla extract
1/4 cup local honey or Grade B Maple Syrup or organic Agave Syrup
2 tablespoons Guar Gum or Arrowroot Powder (substitute for egg) or 1 whole egg (I’ve done this both ways. Just has a bit different texture depending on which you use. I was out of eggs one day and the kids wanted these cookies. Just happened to have some Guar Gum!!

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350˚. In a medium bowl, combine the almond flour, baking soda, guar gum (leave out guar gum if using an egg) and salt, and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the coconut oil, vanilla and maple syrup, (add the egg if not using guar gum) and mix well.

Add the wet mixture with the dry and mix well. If it seems to dry, experiment with adding a tablespoon or two of water or a dash of almond milk (My favorite is Trader Joe’s Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk). I play around with it each time I make this recipe so the cookies are never the same. They always taste good though!

**LOVE OFFERING** If you find this content helpful, I invite you to toss a tip in the love offering bowl. With oceans of gratitude … Camilla ….

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Drop about a tablespoon of batter onto a baking sheet sprayed with olive or coconut oil cooking spray (or use Silpat or parchmant paper). Bake at 350 for 10 or 15 minutes. Check the cookies at the halfway mark. I like to turn mine over at this time.

Allow em to cool and then pour yourself a big glass of almond milk and enjoy those babies!

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