Winter is a time for slowing down and eating more comforting foods. As we tend to move less and eat a little more than we would in say the warm summer months, digestion can be a bit off. Enter the pickle! Pickles help with digestion and provide a nice balance of flavors. Plus, they extend the shelf life of your farm fresh veggies. In this version, I’ve paired sweet and sunny carrots with kohlrabi though you can use any root vegetables you like here. For just a touch more digestive and immune support, I’ve included fresh ginger root as well. My favorite way to eat these is to mix them with some avocado and cilantro for a quick and easy salad of sorts.. You can find this recent collaboration with Loam Agronomics over on their site.
Another Year Older + Cardamom Cocoa Mini Bundts with Coconut Butter Glaze
When I started this blog nearly 7 years ago, I created the tradition of making my own birthday cake/dessert. There was always a lot of planning and note taking that went into the event in the early years as I wanted something really unique and delicious. But as I’ve aged, I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to make something super fussy or complicated. Last year, I didn’t make a cake but instead these pumpkin white chocolate cups from Renee’s blog. They accompanied me on a solo hike up in East Texas. It was unconventional but glorious.
This year as my birthday approached, I felt pushed to come up with something new. I felt like I should do something monumental and go on another hike. While I really love hiking (especially solo), I realized that it wasn’t going to work out on my actual birthday…and that was completely okay. I still had to work and take care of the usual Friday stuff because well, that’s what happens when you’re a 32 year old adult. Basically, I realized that I shouldn’t save fun events for my birthday. I can and should do them anytime throughout the year. Also, it’s okay to stay home and focus on self care and taking it easy. I’m trying to learn how to live without guilt and making myself feel bad for things I “should have” done. This was yet another learning opportunity.
So here we are, my birthday dessert for my 32nd year on this planet. It’s basically this exact cake recipe but with a different glaze and some crushed, dried rose petals sprinkled on top. These mini bundts are decadent without being overly sweet and have a particularly great crumb for being both gluten free and vegan. They’re actually one of my favorite recipes I’ve created for the blog. And if you’re like wait a minute, I have to use a mini bundt pan!!? No, of course not. I realize that not everyone has a plethora of baking implements like I do. You can bake this recipe in a standard cupcake pan filling the molds 2/3 full.
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