A Recipe//Almond Chocolate Bites

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Happy quarantine day 1,459, friends!

Just kidding, kinda, ha, ha.

Are you in need of a sweet treat?

We limit sweets here, which makes them more special and delicious when we do have them!

This recipe is originally from the Pioneer Woman, and she calls them cow patties as you can see here.

I changed the recipe some to fit our dietary needs.

There are only four ingredients, or five if you add some sea salt at the end!

For anything chocolate, we use Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips, which are allergy-friendly and free of all the major allergens.

They have dark chocolate morsels, mini semi-sweet chocolate chips, and these semi-sweet chocolate mega chunks.

I personally like the dark chocolate morsels the best!

Ok, let’s get to the recipe so you can get your hands on some of these!

Almond Chocolate Bites

one 10 oz. bag of enjoy life chocolate chips
1 tsp coconut oil

Place ingredients into a saucepan and heat on low until melted and smooth, watching and stirring the entire time. The coconut oil helps the chocolate melt nicely, and makes the chocolate smooth and glossy.

Add:
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup raisins

Stir until combined. Drop by small spoonfuls onto a parchment lined tray. Sprinkle the tops with a little sea salt if desired. Place the tray into the freezer to set. Store in the freezer or fridge.

Try to share!

Enjoy!!

Miscanthus Giganteus Field Trip

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This week and last it has been harvest time for Blake!

He has been growing Miscanthus grass for his job at Mathy for many years now.

You can see previous posts about it here and here.

Last Wednesday we all took the opportunity for a field trip since Blake was harvesting just 20 miles away from Twin Oaks!

IMG_20200430_133824IMG_20200430_133837It was the most gorgeous day, even though it was chilly and super windy!

Our two sensory girls (Ellie and Eliza) handled it very well, especially with the noise of the tractors.

Having Eliza wear her sun glasses helped her a lot!

IMG_20200430_133928We enjoyed being outside, having somewhere to go, and seeing Blake do some of what he does!!

IMG_20200430_133947IMG_20200430_133813IMG_20200430_134151IMG_20200430_134559IMG_20200430_135004IMG_20200430_135335Don’t you just love the color of that SKY?!!

I am just so glad the Lord gave us the sky!!

It took us about three days to get the dust off of everything and everyone after standing there watching harvest!

That reminds me – my van still needs washed!

It was a wonderful field trip though – memories made and memories kept!!

The best part was seeing how much Blake enjoys his job.

I am so thankful that he enjoys it!

This field trip brought back memories of the farm, and made it really FEEL LIKE SPRING!

Happy spring, everyone!!

A Quarantine Haircut

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We have been thankful for SO many things during this time of Shelter in Place, which is still continuing here in Wisconsin until May 26th.

One of those things we are thankful for is that I have always cut the guys’s hair.

Blake tells me of all the guys at work who are shaggy and in desperate need of a haircut because the hair salons are not allowed to be open right now!

I usually do not cut girl’s hair, but I somehow, with Blake’s encouragement, talked myself into giving Eliza a haircut.

Her hair was so long, AND SO BEAUTIFUL!

Once the spring weather arrived and Eliza was outside more than inside, her hair became a constant battle and almost unmanageable.

After her bath one night when her hair was freshly washed and wet, I cut over five inches off of her silky long hair.

After I cut the length off going straight across, I blended the ends in hopes that it would lay nicely on her back.

We are SO glad I took this risk!

Eliza’s hair is very easy to handle now and we have not had any tears from her about taking care of her hair since that day!

Now if I could just figure out how to cut my own hair, ha, ha!

Quarantine life and its challenges, although the challenges are slight for us here at Twin Oaks, continue on!

I hope everyone is doing well – even if you need a haircut!

Praise the Lord for some warmer weather, sunshine, green grass and budding trees.

It’s easier to stay positive when you can spend hours outside in the sunshine!

Happy quarantine Monday, friends!

A Recipe//Grain-Free Ginger Snap Cookies

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This recipe is very special to me!

Not just because these cookies are delicious, but because the first time I had them our sweet Hannah had made them for me!

She was living with us at that time, and I love when things like a cookie remind me of a special person.

These cookies are a great snack because they are filling and have just a hint of sweetness to them.

We eat these cookies plain, we eat them with a dollop of coconut whipped cream on top, we use them as a crust for dairy-free cheesecake or ice cream cake, and we also break them into bites and put fresh strawberries and whipped cream on them for a delicious, simple dessert!

They are very versatile!

*I will add some other snack ideas to this post after the recipe.

Grain-Free Ginger Snap Cookies

2 cups of almond meal (also called almond flour)
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/3 cup honey
5 TBSP melted coconut oil
sea salt to sprinkle on top

Whisk the first six dry ingredients together in a bowl. Add the honey and the oil. Stir and press everything together with a large spatula or a wooden spoon. If the dough seems too sticky at this point, set the bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes to make it easier to work with. I never have to do that step though. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop out cookies onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Press each cookie flat with the palm of your hand. Flatter cookies will be crispier, thicker cookies will be chewier. Sprinkle each cookie with a little sea salt.

Bake the cookies at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheets for a few minutes, and then on a cooling rack.

This recipe makes 22 cookies.

*doubling the ingredients in this recipe makes it difficult to stir and press the dough all together, so I would recommend just making the recipe twice instead.

OTHER SNACK IDEAS:

I think sometimes we over think snacks. I know I do! If you are trying to implement healthier choices into your diet, do not over think things!! Here are some simple options:

* a sliced apple with some nut butter for dipping
* bean chips or carrot sticks with hummus
* a diced apple sprinkled with natural peanut butter, raisins, granola, and shredded coconut
(we call this “apple nachos!”)
* organic corn chips or carrot sticks with guacamole
* organic corn chips with fresh, homemade salsa
* a smoothie (don’t forget to add a source of fat like an avocado or coconut oil)
* organic popcorn
* sliced oranges
* a plate full of fresh veggies with ranch dip

Hopefully this will spark some ideas of your own!

Enjoy those ginger snap cookies – they are a favorite of mine!

Happy snacking, friends!!

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