Carrot Cake Macaroons—with video! (AIP, Paleo, Vegan)

It had been ages, and ages since I made coconut macaroons… I had forgotten what a fun, bit-sized treat they are, and how easy it is to make them!

With Easter coming up this weekend, I wanted to create a macaroon that mimicked the flavor of a classic Easter favorite: carrot cake. Adding grated carrot, spices, and raisins to the macaroon base recipe worked great! As a bonus, including vegetables in dessert ups the nutrient profile just a bit and helps me feel better about the occasional indulgence. I love creating treats that mimic “the real deal,” but are more healthful and won’t derail my diet and lifestyle choices.

Also, I’ve created another recipe video to show just how easily these macaroons can be made :)

A note about my recipes: I ALWAYS recommend baking by weighted measurements to ensure the most successful baked goods. I've included volume measures, but they have been determined by math and are not tested. 

Carrot Cake Macaroons
yields 20 macaroons

120 grams (1 1/2 cups) unsweetened finely shredded coconut flakes
7 grams (1 tablespoon) coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground mace (or sub nutmeg, if not AIP)
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
50 grams (1/2 cup) finely grated carrot
28 grams (2 tablespoons) melted coconut oil
78 grams (1/4 cup) Grade B maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
40 grams (1/2 cup) raisins

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking pan (I used a half sheet) with parchment paper. 
2. In a food processor, pulse together the coconut flakes, coconut flour, cinnamon, mace, cloves and sea salt to combine everything. 
3. Add the grated carrot, and pulse just until the carrot is distributed throughout. 
4. Pour the coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract over the coconut mixture. Pulse until combined. 
5. Transfer to a separate bowl and stir in the raisins.
6. Use a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop, packed with dough, to portion the macaroons onto the parchment lined pan. 
7. Bake for 8 minutes in the preheated oven, rotate the pan, and bake for an additional 7 minutes. Remove from the oven & allow the macaroons to cool completely on the pan. 
8. Store leftovers in an airtight container. The macaroons may lose their crispness over time, depending on the humidity. 

Notes:

• You can substitute honey for the maple syrup, though they will not longer be vegan.  
• I do NOT recommend reducing the sweetener or swapping it for a non-liquid one, or else the macaroons will not hold together. 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 

after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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Don't Worry

You know one of the things that I love about writing? It doesn't have an age limit. It doesn't matter how old you are or when you finally make the decision. If you want to write, you can.

It wasn't until May last year, that I started taking writing more seriously. (So it's almost been a year. Yay!) I was already 18 by the time I made that choice. And then there are those who've known that they wanted to write since they came into the world. You know who you are. Yeah, I'm talking about you.

No matter how long it took you, you may wonder why it took that long to realize that you want to write, you want to become an author, you want to get published. But, we have to remember that there is a reason. God has a reason, a plan. You probably don't know what that is yet, and that's okay. Don't waste time worrying or stressing over it.

It could be that you weren't ready yet. I know I wasn't. I told you in a previous post, that I didn't even really learn how to write until I was 13. Yeah, I had learned about grammar, how to form sentences, and stuff before that, but it didn't make sense until then. Yes, I started taking an interest in writing books/stories when I was 15, but I still had a lot to learn. And not only about writing.

What I'm talking about now is life. I still had a lot to learn about life, before I could even start writing about it. Only today, did I realize that if I had attempted to write the books I am now, when I was 15, it wouldn't have gone well because I knew nothing about that side of life.

God has things that He wants to teach us and show us, so that we can share it with others in a way that will greatly impact them. It may take longer for some of us. Everyone is different. We all live different lives.

And, there is the possibility that it took you as long as it did because God knows that, by the time you are ready to be published, the people He wants you to reach will finally be at the point in their lives where they are ready to read your book. So keep that in mind. ;)

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March Wrap-Up

We've made it through the first quarter of the year! The first three months are gone. Actually, just yesterday, I was reading another blogger's wrap-up post and when they said "a quarter of the year" I thought, "I think you mean a third of the year. April hasn't happened yet." And I almost corrected them, because you know, three months = 1/3 and four months = 1/4. I used to think this when I was younger, and apparently, if you get me at the right time, I still do. :P But anyways.

Writing

Writing went very well last month. You may remember that I wanted to write 10K more of Strangers and the first 5K of that new idea I had, which now has the title Roping the Overcomer. Well, Strangers ended up getting the 5K and Roping the Overcomer the 10K. But I still wrote 15K total, so I'm happy with that. :) Also, I think Strangers might almost be ready for the second draft, which I may or may start this month.

Two more book ideas have started forming this last month. One is taking longer than the other, but they're still forming. I may at least start outlining them this month. It kinda all depends on how soon and how much the ideas want to share with me. :P

Reading

                                          

Found by Audrey Caylin

(Yes, I know, two of them don't have covers :P)

So once again, I have read five books. :P And two of those are books I beta read: Found and Dandelion Dust. Both of them were so good. I can't wait until they're published so all of you can read them to! :D

I'm not even going to try to pick a favorite for the month, because I loved them all. But there is one that I didn't like quite as much as the rest, and that was Elizabeth Gail and the Time for Love. This was probably my twentieth time reading it (I really liked this book when I was younger). But the whole series is more for children than an 18 year old. :P

I refuse to say that I'm going to try to read more this month, because each time I've said that, I end up reading the same amount as the previous month. We'll just see what happens.

Blogging

The Unsupportive

Homeschooling- Part 1

My Writing Process

Posts from other blogs that I recommend reading:

Jonathan's post Dear Writer, How's Your Heart?

Abi's post Banishing Plotting // What to Plot and What to Not

Audrey's post To My Fellow Dreamers

Marrok's post Hey Christian Let's Talk: Doctor Strange

Other News

So all in all, March was a great month. At the beginning of the month I thought that maybe I was putting to much on my plate, but I guess not. :P Everything went a lot better than I thought it would. And now I know that I can handle that much in a month.

I may be going for my license this month. A little nervous about that, but I just want to get it over with. Once I pass, I won't have to worry about it again. I'm going on vacation this month as well. I'm really excited about that, because I'll get to see family and friends that I don't get to see very often. And, I'll be able to go to some of my favorite book stores! How can you go on vacation and not come back with books? :D That's right, it's not possible.

So how was your February?

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Avocado “Toast” + a Yucan Crunch giveaway (AIP & Paleo)

I went AIP before the big “avocado toast” craze began; however, thanks to Mission Heirloom’s Yucan Crunch crackers, I’ve been able to enjoy my own allergen-friendly version.

In December 2015, I had the pleasure of visiting Mission Heirloom in Berkeley, CA. Various AIP friends had highly recommended the paleo restaurant with many AIP options, but they also raved about Yucan Crunch crackers. I made it a point to try the Yucan Crunch and absolutely loved it—they really remind me of triscuits. I bought a bag on the spot & used it for breakfasts and snacks throughout the rest of our trip.

Fast forward to now and I’m still a huge Yucan Crunch fan. After my initial stash ran out, I ordered it several more times from the Mission Heirloom website, but luckily, procuring some is even easier these days because Yucan Crunch is now available on Amazon! And they're even Amazon Prime eligible!

To celebrate the Amazon debut of Yucan Crunch, I’m sharing my super easy avocado “toast” recipe. This is another recipe that almost isn’t a recipe due to how simple it is. But goodness, it is so tasty & really feels like a treat when I make it. Most often I’ll have the avocado toast plain, but it’s also delicious topped with smoked salmon or prosciutto.

Mission Heirloom has graciously agreed to give one of my readers FREE 4-pack of Yucan Crunch. Leave a commend on this post sharing how you'd most like to use Yucan Crunch crackers. This giveaway is only open to US residents and will run until Monday April 10, 2017.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I did receive a complimentary 4-pack of Yucan Crunch; however, this is a product I have happily purchased in the past & will continue to purchase in the future. I would never recommend a product I didn’t stand behind 100%. 

Avocado “Toast" 
yields 1 serving

1 avocado
juice from 1/4 lemon
Yucan Crunch, broken into large (or small) pieces
truffle salt, as needed (or other finishing salt of your choice.

1. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the lemon juice. 
2. Spread the avocado/lemon mixture onto pieces of Yucan Crunch. 
3. Sprinkle with truffle salt. Eat immediately :) 

Note: some people prefer to toast their Yucan Crunch in a skillet or under the broiler, but I most often prefer it un-toasted. Feel free to do either, depending on your own preferences. Please DO NOT toast it in an actual toaster, as it could cause a fire if pieces break off into the toaster. 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 
after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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My Writing Process

What's my writing process? Well, it's really quite simple. All I do is stare a tree (for who knows how long) and then sit down and write about said tree. And in four days, I come out with a 200K word novel all perfect and ready to be published.

Ha! If only it were that simple. (But then, if it were, anyone could do it.) This is actually what I do:

The Idea

I found out pretty quickly that going out and looking for ideas doesn't work. It's better if I just let them come to me. (They really need to work on their timing though. :P) But even when they do come, they don't want to stay and chat. All they do is pop in and say something that doesn't make any sense whatsoever, and then run away.

So, I chase after them, asking questions as I try to keep up. Even though they don't stop, they are nice enough to throw answers over their shoulder, however unhelpful they may be. But, eventually, I get everything I need to at least start.

Plotting?

I actually don't think that I have a set way of doing this. It feels like it's different every time. With The Barrier, I did this whole outline thing, which I didn't follow very well towards the end. I practically pantsed Strangers. For that one, I just had a few ideas in my head before I wrote it. And finally, this new idea that I've started writing doesn't really have an outline. It's more just character sheets and backstories.

But two things that I need before I can begin is characters and setting. One thing that I have to do before I start, is get to know my characters. What they look like, what their personalities are, how they interact with other people, etc. Settings are also really important, because without that, I don't really know what my characters can and can't do, or where they can go.

So, I guess I don't really plot, but I'm slowly changing that.

First Draft

This is the part where I take my characters, throw them in some random place, and force them to interact with each other. I mean, in a way, that's basically what all writers do. Am I right?

Apparently, a lot of writers hand write their novels? I started out doing that, but not for very long. I found that typing it up is a lot faster. Usually, the only time I hand write is when I don't have my laptop on hand. I do like handwriting, it's just that my hand has a hard time trying to keep up with my brain. :P

The time it takes to write the first draft varies. It can take four weeks or it could take ten months. All of them are very messy and bad. But, I hear that's why we edit.

Editing

And then comes the first round of edits. I don't know about the rest of you, but for me, this is pretty much a love hate relationship.

The first thing I do is read through everything I wrote and just make small changes as I go (which are mostly typos). The reason I do this is so that I can figure out what and where I need to add, take out, or move things. Then, I create a new document and rewrite it.



So that is my writing process, if you can call it that. :P

And to wrap up, I have just one thing to say. At the beginning of this month, I said that I had a new novel idea and that I would add it to my Writings page sometime this month. Well, I got around to that the other day, so if you want to go check it out, feel free to do so.


What about you? What's your writing process like?

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Homeschooling- Part 1

This week went by really fast. So fast that I actually didn't even start thinking about what I was going to blog about today until Thursday... Oops. :P And because of that, today's post is just going to be something fun (and not quite as long). If you are a homeschooler, or used to be, you'll probably be able to relate. I, myself, am no longer homeschooled since I've graduated.

Warning: Sarcasm overload. (Just kidding, it's not that bad.)

Let us start.


For some reason, when we first meet someone, they always want to know where we go to school. (It's like they know) I'm sure that a lot of us dread the flow of questions we will get after we tell them. I know I did, and actually still do. But here's three popular responses we get:

 Response #1

We do have to go to school, we just don't have to leave the house.

Response #2

I don't really know why people assume that homeschoolers don't have friends, but they do. Granted, some of us aren't very social, but we still have friends. Some of us even have a lot. Yes, I know, it's crazy.

Response #3

Yes, and if we actually did have a secret society, it would probably just be a co-op. :P

Hey! Snow day! All the kids who go to public school are throwing parties because they don't have to go to school. But with homeschoolers:

Homeschoolers don't get snow days. It's more like, Hey, you can make it out of your room? Great, come on downstairs.

This here, is very true, people:

If you are not a fellow homeschooler, I don't recommend making fun of them. Especially, not in front of them. The only time you can do that is if you are really good friends with them, but even then, proceed cautiously.

I haven't had the opportunity to say this since I've graduated, but I can't wait until I do:

Haha, I can just see the confused looks I'll probably get. But this will, more than likely, still lead to a ton of questions. I'm sure that all of us have been tempted to just make something up at least once before. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

When homeschoolers graduate high school and move on to college:

I actually don't know how true this is, because I don't go to college. But if you do, on a scale of 1 to 10 how true is this?

If you are a homeschooler, but aren't proud of it, just remember, not everyone can say this:

And to wrap this up, I want to share a couple of pictures that I really liked (because who doesn't love LotR and Star Wars?), but didn't know how to incorporate them into the post. :P

All these pictures are from Pinterest.


So what about you? Can you relate?

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Irish Soda Bread (AIP & Paleo), with video

My husband loves to make (and eat) corned beef and cabbage, with carrots & potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day. Once we got married, I started making gluten-free Irish soda bread to contribute to the festivities—we quite often host friends for this epic meal :) Last year, I experimented last minute with making a paleo Irish soda bread that only needed eggs as an AIP reintroduction. It was OK, but not as tasty and I’d liked and it was really really crumbly… Plus, I really wanted to figure out a version that people still in the elimination phase of AIP could enjoy too. This year, I went completely back to the drawing board and came up with this recipe I’m sharing today.

Now, as with pretty much all AIP versions of baked goods, keep an open mind when trying this recipe… By keeping this recipe elimination phase compliant, I’ve worked with some pretty strict ingredient limitations, and to be honest, it has been a couple years since I’ve had “real” Irish soda bread to compare my version to. But I have come up with what I consider to be a pretty delicious, fairly close to the real deal option.

This AIP Irish soda bread tastes the best & has the best texture the day it’s baked. However, since I also don’t recommend eating an entire loaf in one day by yourself, it does make some pretty epic toast slathered in fruit-sweetened jam (like the St. Dalfour apricot in these photos) the following day…. Just make sure to toast it in a gluten-free toaster/toaster oven or under the broiler.

Also, since I know AIP baking can be more challenging than regular baking, I’ve created my first recipe-tutorial video detailing how I make this Irish Soda Bread. Check it out below, or on YouTube. Happy baking!

Irish Soda Bread (AIP & Paleo) 

8 fl oz (1 cup), plus 1-2 additional teaspoons coconut milk 

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar  

75 g (2/3 cup) coconut flour  

80 g (2/3 cup) tapioca starch  

85 g (2/3 cup) arrowroot  

1 tablespoon gelatin  

1 tablespoon coconut sugar 

1 teaspoon AIP baking powder (see recipe below) 

1 teaspoon baking soda  

1/2 teaspoon sea salt  

48 g (4 tablespoons) palm shortening  

80 g (1/2 c) zante currants

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper—I used a quarter sheet. 
2. Measure the coconut milk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the apple cider vinegar. Set aside to make faux “buttermilk.”  
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, tapioca starch, arrowroot, gelatin, coconut sugar, AIP baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined. 
4. Add the palm shortening to the mixing bowl. Use a fork or pastry blender to work the shortening in to the dry ingredients. Continue until the ingredients resemble coarse meal. 
5. Pour in the coconut milk/vinegar. Stir with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. Once mostly combined, switch to hand kneading until the dough can be squeezed together to form a ball. If needed, add additional coconut milk 1 tablespoon at a time (adding a maximum of 2 tablespoons). The finished bread will have the best texture with the least amount of coconut milk added, but the dough does need to be able to form into a ball that doesn’t completely break apart. 
6. Form the dough into a disc & place on the prepared baking sheet. Use a serrated knife (I have this one) to cut an X in the center of the dough—the X allows heat to better penetrate to the center of the bread as it bakes. 
7. Place the pan in the pre-heated oven & bake for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, rotate the pan and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes, or until the center X is dry & the bread is golden. 
8. Remove the finished bread from the oven & allow to cool completely before slicing. This bread has the best texture the day it is made, but it also makes excellent toast the following day. Store any leftovers, wrapped, at room temperature.

AIP/Paleo Baking Powder
81 grams (1/2 cup) cream of tartar 
55 grams (1/4 cup) baking soda
30 grams (1/4 cup) arrowroot or tapioca 

1. Sift together the cream of tartar, baking soda, and arrowroot/tapioca.
2. Store in an airtight jar. Use wherever baking powder is used.

 

This post contains affiliate links, meaning Sweet Treats makes a small commission off items purchased 
after an Amazon link is clicked with no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support.

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