Chocolate Carrot Cake Muffins and Chocolate Maple-Pecan Glaze

I'm going to start this post out with a late THANK YOU to everyone for you support after my last rant.  It means a lot to know people care about what I write and what I have to share.  It means even more to know I'm not alone in my line of thinking!

The whole "Ask and you shall receive" thing has become very apparent during this time, too.  It's one of those biblical things that have been taught to a lot of us throughout our youth, but it never really meant anything to me until I got older and realized, hey, this stuff really works!  And I've since left my "biblical/religious" past behind and have moved into a more "spiritual" life instead, but the saying rings true no matter what your persuasion.  If you put your desires out there to God or the Universe or whatever you believe in, you'll get a response.  It's all in how you put it out there, though, and all in what lies in your heart when you do so.  It's pretty cool.  And since putting it out there that I'd love to know I have a support system, that I'm not completely crazy and completely alone in my line of thinking, people have been coming out of the woodwork!  Okay so of course I already knew I wasn't alone, I have a lot of clients whom I get into lengthy conversations with about our natural lifestyles, and whether we have the exact same opinions and feelings or not we support each other and I've had really great experiences talking to all of them.  It's just that, in the recent past, it seemed like the more medical/pharmaceutical-minded people and the SAD- (Standard American Diet) eaters were more prevalent than those who, like me, realize all those chemical drugs are killing us and so is the processed food handed to us on a daily basis.  And it gets discouraging when that happens.  Anytime you believe in something, if the non-believers far outweigh the people who are in your support system, it gets hard to hang onto your beliefs and hard to still feel supported.

So, I'm going to take this moment to reflect on a post I wrote a few months back and express some gratitude, not only to you guys who are like-minded and appreciate what I have to say here, but also to the Universe (/God, /Higher Power - you know, that great Source energy we all come from and will return to, call it what you will) for answering me when I asked for more support.  I've heard from and met some really awesome people and am feeling more encouraged to keep sharing what I do instead of hiding in my little bubble at home healing my family naturally and eating my clean food and not sharing any of that knowledge with anyone else.

I decided to share a recipe too, before I forget how I made it!  I have a ton of recipes in the line-up to share with you but this is the most recent one and the one that's freshest on my mind.

So we have this co-op, right?  Most of you local readers know about that, and if not, it's CommunityHelpings4U.com if you want to check it out.  It's been a HUGE help for us in keeping our fridge stocked with produce.  And I order extras besides just the box so that way we're guaranteed to have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables through the next couple weeks.  Well, I wanted to order some carrots, and they have options like the 1lb bag, 2lb bag, 5lb bag, etc.  I thought I selected the 2lb bag.  No, this was definitely one of the larger ones.  This sack of carrots was the size of a couple basketballs.  I was not paying attention when I ordered, apparently!!  So now I have a ton of carrots to use up, thus the inspiration (/necessity) for carrot cake.  And chocolate.  Because my world is a better place when there's chocolate in it.

What's even cooler is that this recipe calls for only coconut flour.  Normally I bake with almond flour and limit my coconut flour use because it tends to make things turn out sort of bitter...  Not this time!  I was so impressed by how delicious these were!!  I may have been converted...

I got the original recipe from Primally Inspired, and of course made my modifications.  So this is my modified recipe, inspired by the one I just linked you to :).

I feel like these didn't turn out very pretty... Well, the glaze did, but not the cake itself.  Don't be fooled, they taste AMAZING!!

Paleo Chocolate Carrot Cake Muffins

Ingredients

6 cups shredded carrots
16 pitted dates, finely chopped
8 eggs (that's one thing I really dislike about coconut flour - it needs LOTS of eggs)
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place chopped dates, eggs, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mixing bowl (or in a food processor - I chopped the dates in my food processor and added the rest of the ingredients to it).  Mix or blend until well incorporated. 
3. Add the coconut flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder and mix until combined.
4. Fold in the shredded carrots.
5. Spoon or pour batter into cupcake lined muffin pan and bak for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
6. Let cool and either eat plain or frost with icing (recipe follows)

The glaze I put on it was a maple-pecan glaze recipe I found from Detonxinista, which of course I modified a bit to suit my needs (and added chocolate to it... I may have a bit of a chocolate addiction...).

It's finger-lickin' good

Chocolate Maple-Pecan Icing 

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp tapioca or arrowroot starch


3/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

1. Microwave the chocolate chips and coconut oil for 30 seconds and stir until combined and smooth.
2. Mix in the maple syrup, vanilla, and salt.  Stir in the starch to thicken and stabilize.
3. Finely chop the pecans, or add to the mix whole and blend in a blender until smooth. (I did not blend, so my icing was a bit chunkier)
4. Spoon on top of muffins and refrigerate to set up.  Enjoy!

Raw Honesty, and Alternative Devil's Food Cake

Well, I'm home today with a not sick kid, who happens to be napping right now, so I figured I'd take this moment to catch up on my blog a bit.  For those of you who check in and read this regularly, I'm sorry I've been MIA.  But, I do want to say thank you for checking in and reading what I post, and for the feedback you give me whether in emails or in person.  It makes me feel like I'm not so alone with my line of thinking.  Lately I've been feeling super lonely, so any of you like-minded friends out there, I could use a little extra love.  Justin sayin...

And that's why I've been MIA.  I've just felt sorta discouraged, like what's the point of posting this stuff?  My home remedies and whatnot, that is.  I know more and more people are checking out my recipes, which is super cool, and my first day of Alternative Market went over with flying colors, so that's awesome too.  But when it comes to eating healthy on a regular basis, or healing illnesses or ailments with natural remedies, or avoiding problems by watching our diet, it seems like I'm totally alone on that one.

RSV has been traveling around my boys' daycare, and we were afraid Elliot might have it as he's had the symptoms, which are mostly just common cold symptoms.  And basically that's what RSV is, the common cold, but it can be dangerous for babies and little kids if it gets out of control, and it can get out of control pretty quickly, which it did for my niece (who was playing quite a bit with Elliot the day she got it).  But it's super common, a lot of times it just goes undiagnosed because symptoms remain mild like that of a regular cold and there's no reason to go to the doctor about it.  I'm sure we've had it a ton of times.  Anyway.  It's super contagious, so I'm just keeping Elliot home away from the babies at the daycare, and preventing further spread to our family because I'm going away with my husband this weekend for my birthday and I would love to go guilt-free and not leave a sick kid with my parents!

I'm not sure if he's RSV positive or not, though.  We had him tested at our doctor's office (which is a horrible nasal swab!), but they don't keep rapid results tests there, which I didn't realize until after we did the swab.  Sorry Elliot.  We won't get results for a couple days, so what was the point of having it done, right?  They don't keep those tests there, though, because they'd expire before they got used, because that's not something they routinely check.  Because they treat people primarily homeopathically.  I'm among a certain group of people that don't go in looking for an ailment like RSV.  We think differently.  We take action differently.

And this whole thing has been yet another moment thrown in my face with flashing lights that I am very alone.  Because all the other daycare parents are getting their results for their kids within minutes and I have to wait a few days.  I was sent home with a homeopathic remedy to treat Elliot's cough, which should assist in preventing RSV symptoms from escalating if that is, in fact, what he has, and his cough diminished as the day went on and I used the remedy.  That's how it is every time I go there - we have an ailment, we get a remedy, it works.  On we go with our lives, no side effects, no complications to our organs because of foreign chemical substances in drugs, no damages to our gut flora (and in turn our immune systems) because of harmful antibiotics.  These doctors know what drugs can do to our insides, and they respect that they should be saved for worst-case scenarios.  They know that our around 80% of our immune system resides in our intestines, so antibiotics are also saved as a last resort, and probiotics are strongly encouraged.  They recognize the importance of diet to a healthy immune system and overall well-being, and recommend diet changes to assist in achieving optimum health.  They see the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies, which have been used for centuries, and they work.  It's amazing how they work.  And for those of you who don't know the difference between homeopathic and holistic/natural, there's a big difference, please look it up.  I'm not talking about crushing a plant with a mortar and pestle and making a tea.  That's not homeopathic.  This is homeopathic.  Make sure you know what I'm talking about.

So anyway.  I see this stuff work time and time again, so effectively and harmlessly, that I can't help but wonder, why is this not mainstream?  Why is this not conventional medicine?  Why oh why am I a minority?  Why would everyone willingly choose chemical drugs with potential side effects and put their organs at risk when there is a better way right here under their noses?  And I get so confused, wondering why I'm alone...

I've gotten to the point where I don't really talk much about my natural lifestyle in the open.  Still, a lot of people email me on a very regular basis wanting advice.  But it's getting frustrating because I don't know exactly what you're looking for.  I give what advice I can, what I would do in your situation, and I'm beginning to realize that what I'm suggesting - the things that are very normal to me - are totally "out there" for you.  And food is another thing - I'll find myself amongst people talking about the Fruit Loops they gave their kids for breakfast, and I'm trying to keep my jaw off the floor.  And I have to step back and say, No Jami, most people aren't aware that starting your day with processed sugar and food dye is a very bad idea.

And it makes me sad.  And I stop and have a moment of gratitude that I have the awareness that I have, and the open mind to continue to learn more and try new things that are safe, that I have the knowledge to treat the problems rather than the symptoms if we come down with any sort of ailment.  And I wish I weren't so alone.

Am I really that alone, you guys?  Or are all you natural lifestyle enthusiasts just keeping quiet in your own little world just like I've begun doing lately, and that's why I don't know about you?  I'm tired of being the crazy one for doing what I feel is safer and healthier for myself and my family.  I'm tired of being surrounded by people who just give into the fear tactics used by the medical field.  I'm tired of being surrounded by people who blindly trust their physician.  I'm not saying doctors or physicians are bad people, I know it totally sounds like that's what I'm saying, I know they're not, and I want to believe that a lot of them truly do care about your well being more than they care about their wallet, they just don't know how to treat holistically and weren't trained to do so.  They treat your symptoms because that's how they were trained.  Because that's the kind of world we live in.  You're willing to take drug after drug after drug to treat your symptoms and completely ignore the problem that your symptoms are trying to warn you about, and then you're willing to take on the side effects of those drugs that may have long term damages you'll have to deal with late into life.

I'm sorry, guys.  This is a depressing post.  I just wanted to share some honesty though.  And vent some frustration.  Because being alone in your lifestyle choices is very frustrating.  Like I said, I need a little love.  So if you don't mind, leave a comment or shoot me an email letting me know you care about my posts on here, you care that I share my first-hand experience with you, that you've learned something through all this.  I've got so much to share - more remedies for the common cold, how to heal pink eye, basic solutions for boosting the immune system safely, etc.  I know some people care, I've talked to you at my office and sent you on your way with information.  But sharing it here... I don't know.  I'm losing ambition to make my knowledge available to the public.  So please let me know if this blog makes a difference to you.  I'd really appreciate it.


In the meantime, the best way to combat the blues is chocolate, right??  I think so!  I whipped up this chocolate cake based on my cinnamon scone recipe, and made the icing from scratch, and it turned out amazing.  Harlee took a bite of it and moaned happily, it was so good.  Seriously, forget that these are "healthy".  Alternative, yes, as they're grain-free, sugar-free, dairy-free, and gluten-free, but they taste too good to be "healthy".  They're sinful.  I'm totally calling it a Devil's food cake.

Alternative Devil's Food Cake

1 ½ cups cashews (or 1 1/3 cups ground)
¼ cup arrowroot powder
Pinch of salt
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
4 tbsp organic maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Egg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a 9” metal cake pan with parchment paper.  Blend the cashews in a food processor until ground into a flour.  Add the remainder of the ingredients to the food processor and blend until smooth.  You should have a thick, sticky batter.  Pour into the parchment-lined cake pan and spread out toward the edges.

Bake for 30 minutes, then top with prepared icing.  Let cool, cut into wedges, and enjoy!

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Icing

 

1/2 cup coconut butter, softened

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup almond or coconut milk

 

 

 Coconut butter works way better than coconut oil.  Oil would work just fine too, but you'd have to keep it cool as it can melt. 

Add all ingredients to a bowl and beat with a stand or hand mixer until thoroughly combined.  I found it easier to spread over a warm cake, as it melts and doesn't make the cake crumby.  Once cooled, it sets up well.

Everything in moderation, guys... Don't eat the whole cake...