My Favorite Pregnancy Snacks

One of the biggest changes in my life since becoming pregnant is my constant desire to eat!

I am not typically a big snacker. I am a “three meals a day and a snack before dinner” type of person, always have been. I never really got hungry enough to snack during the day, and if I did, I would ignore it until it was meal time.

Not. any. more. I am hungry ALL the time, and this hunger is not like any hunger I’ve ever experienced. It’s urgent and immediate. I cannot wait to until meal time to eat, usually I can’t even wait 5 minutes to eat!

It is super important to keep healthy snacks around for when these hunger pangs strike so that you can give your body (and baby) the nutrients you (and they) need!

Here is a quick list of snacks that we now keep stocked at the Weir household.

Pregnancy Snacks:

Larabars (Cherry Pie and Peanut Butter Cookie are my favorite) 

While I wish these were organic, I love the fact that they only have 4-6 ingredients in them. They are all natural and a great source of protein and nutrients! They are also gluten free, and have a lot of dairy free flavors!

Ener-G Foods Sesame Pretzel Rings 

These are great for the first trimester when you can’t hold anything down. They are a great gluten free substitute for Saltines.

Organic Apples w/ Organic Peanut Butter

It’s probably the time of year I’m pregnant as well, but apples with peanut butter are one of my favorite snacks lately. The peanut butter gives you a great amount of protein, which is super important during pregnancy. Don’t forget to get organic peanut butter though! (Peanuts are one of the most sprayed foods out there!)

Organic Corn Chips

 

We get a big bag from Costco. Another great mild food for when nothing else sounds good. Easy to pack as a snack or to keep by your bed for those middle of the night hunger attacks!

Cherry Tomatoes and Carrot Sticks

This is definitely a second trimester snack. I wouldn’t have been able to even look at these foods in my first trimester. Getting vegetables back into your diet in your second trimester is super important, and these snacks are great starting point! Any veggies you can stomach would be great to add to this list!

Stretch Island Organic Fruit Leather 

Sometimes you just gotta have something sweet. These treats are a great healthy option for when the sweet tooth kicks in, as they contain no added sugar or artificial ingredients!

Applesauce 

This another great sweet snack, that is super easy on the stomach, and feels great on the throat if you get a cold or sore throat while pregnant. My first 8 weeks, I had a constant sore throat and I lived on this stuff.

There are so many other great ideas for snacks out there, but these are the ones that I have found to be the most helpful (and easiest) to have on hand.

Curious what foods I’ve been craving since being pregnant? I’m sorry to disappoint, but not very many. I am kind of bummed that I didn’t get any of those weird cravings! I would love to freak people out by asking for pickles and ice cream, but ewww!! The biggest craving I have had is actually Skittles! I am definitely not a big candy fan normally, and if I do ever want candy, it’s typically Jelly Belly’s or gummy candies (think peachy-o’s or those blue shark gummies!) But right now?  I am all about the Skittles!. I am trying to be good and ignore the craving most of the time, but I have had a bag or two :) 

I am still dealing with lots of aversions, such as animal protein (of all kinds), coffee, the smell of red wine, spinach and most Asian foods (especially teriyaki). I’m not sure if these will last my whole pregnancy, but for now, I am simply avoiding them when I can!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

In my last post, I was boasting about the lovely September weather Seattle was having,well that has come and gone. October has brought nothing but rain!

Fall is by far my favorite season of the year. I don’t know if it is crisp cool air, the sweaters, boots and scarves, or the ushering in of the holiday season, but nothing can compare in my book!

My birthday is in October, so I will always have a special place in my heart for apples and pumpkins. They were always an integral part of my birthday parties and when my mom would start bringing them home from the grocery store, I knew my birthday was getting close!

I was at COSTCO the other day, and they had canned pumpkin in. I couldn’t resist and I bought a pack (I know have more pumpkin than I know what to do with!) While this isn’t organic pumpkin, Pumpkin is extremely low on the “dirty” list for produce contaminated with pesticides.

After my Costco trip, I couldn’t stop staring at the cans, wondering what deliciousness I could come up with! First on the list? Cookies of course!

These cookies are moist, packed with flavor and taste exactly like fall! I am definitely going to be making these again soon!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies:

1 cup softened virgin coconut oil (or unsalted butter)

1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar (plus a little extra for sprinkling)

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 cups brown rice flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon sea salt

3 to 4 teaspoons cinnamon (plus a little extra for sprinkling)

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl use an electric mixer to blend together the coconut oil, pumpkin, sugar, flax seeds, and vanilla extract. Add the remaining ingredients and beat together again.

Drop by the spoonful onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Use a fork or flat edge to flatten the cookies (they will not change shape while cooking). Lightly sprinkle the tops of each cookie with cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly golden around the edges. Remove cookies and place them onto a wire rack to cool. 

Serve with a scoop of "rice cream" or yogurt.  

* I apologize for the terrible picture quality in this post. These were taken on my cell phone, which is clearly lacking in the camera department!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Because my husband and I are starting a detox next week, I decided that we had to have cookies this week, right? I mean we needed one last little treat! :)

I was looking for a simple, yet delicious recipe, when I ran across this recipe on Pie Birds, Buttons and Muddy Puddles. Oh man, peanut butter, oatmeal and chocolate all in one cookie? Sounds almost too good to be true!

Oh, but friends, they are true, and SO delicious! I adapted Andrea’s recipe to make it dairy and gluten free, and they turned out marvelous! Hope you enjoy these delicious cookies!

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies:

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose  gluten free flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose, because I had some at home, but you could make your own, following these instructions!)
¼ teaspoon guar gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup organic vegetarian shortening (I use Spectrum), at room temperature
½ cup organic creamy peanut butter
½ cup Turbinado or Sucanat
1/3 cup light brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup gluten-free rolled oats
1 cup dairy free semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silpats and set aside.

2. Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

3. On medium speed, cream together the shortening, peanut butter, sucanat, brown sugar and vanilla extract, about 3 minutes. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and then the chocolate chips.

4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tablespoons) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Apple Pie and Pie Crust

Since I am an October baby, all of my birthdays have had apples involved. Whether it was bobbing for apples, Carmel covered apples or an apple toss, each birthday memory is sweeten by the thought of apples!

Well this year, as I was throwing my first large dinner and dessert party for my birthday, I knew I had to make an apple pie! I just love apple pie and couldn’t think of any other dessert I would want for my birthday.

I guess I didn’t realize how much work would be involved in making a gluten free, grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free recipe that would work. This apple pie was definitely “my Everest” of desserts; however, the outcome was worth it! The pie was a hit!

Apple Pie Filling:

5 Apples, peeled, cored and cut into ¼ inch slices
3/4 cup honey (1 cup if you like sweeter pie)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon allspice
2 Pie Crusts (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a large bowl add your, Peeled, cored and sliced apples. Pour the lemon juice over the apples to prevent browning. Heat the honey on medium low until it flows freely. Combine flour, spices and salt. Sift flour, salt and spices over the apples.

At this point I like to set the apples aside and prepare the top crust, that way the apples don't get soupy while they wait, covered in sugar, for the top crust to be ready. 

I spent a lot of time trying to find a pie crust recipe I could roll out and top a pie with, after about 5 tries, I decided that with grain free pie crusts, that just wasn’t an option. I decided to use a small cookie cutter, and cut out shapes to top the pie, rather than one large crust (see picture above).

Once your top crust is prepared, pour the honey over the apples and gently combine. Place the apples in your bottom crust. Add your cut out shapes to the top of the pie to almost completely cover your pie. You can brush the crust with milk or egg white to help it brown.

Cover the crust with tin foil to keep the edges from burning. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is golden brown. Rotate the pie front to back and reduce the heat to 350 degrees. Bake until bubbling, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Pie Crust: (from Spunky Coconut)

Add to bowl:

3 tbsp flax seed meal OR 1.5 tbsp Chia Seed meal

1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp applesauce

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

8 drops Vanilla Creme liquid stevia

1 tbsp honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

Mix with electric mixer.

Add:

1 cup almond meal flour

1/2 cup coconut flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Mix again.

Roll out the dough.

Flatten the dough out slightly, so it's about 6 inches wide, then put it in the dish, and press it the rest of the way out with your hands.

(I also lightly grease and flour my pie dish first, so the crust doesn't stick.) Then bake and the time listed above!

I’m sharing this on Pennywise Platter Thursday and Simple Lives Thursday!

"Carmel" Apple Dip

I am posting this recipe due to popular demand from my family. One of the blogs I follow, The Whole Life Nutrition, posted this recipe about a month back and I tried it, and my husband and I LOVE it!

We have made this probably 3 times since, and it is delicious every time. I made a few adjustments to the original recipe to make it work with what we had at home.

The consistency of this dip is not the same as Carmel; however the color and the taste are very similar. This is a great healthy dessert!

“Carmel” Apple Dip

1 cup raw cashews

1 cup Raisins
1/4 cup grade B maple syrup

2 teaspoons alcohol free vanilla

Pinch sea salt

6-8 tbps water

Place the cashews into a small bowl and cover with water. Let soak at room temp for about 2 to 3 hours.

To make the dip, drain and rinse the cashews then place them into a food processor along with the raisins, maple syrup, vanilla, and salt. Add about 3-6 tablespoons of water and blend. Blend until smooth. Then transfer to a blender and add additional 3-4 tablespoons water and blend until creamy.

Serve with sliced apples!

So easy and so delicious!

Pumpkin Pie and Pie Crust

This past weekend I celebrated my 25^th birthday! What a fun celebration it was! We invited 25 of my closest friends and family over for dinner and desert! I made 2 roast chickens, 2 pot roasts, 10 lbs of mashed potatoes, and a LOT of roast veggies (carrots, green beans and onions).

This was my first time cooking for a group this large, and I had a BLAST! The food turned out great as well! In all the craziness of preparing for the party, I didn’t get any pictures of the food, but I did manage to capture some pictures of the DESSERT that was served.

I decided to make a Pumpkin Pie, an Apple Pie and a Vanilla Torte with Chocolate Frosting for dessert. It was a lot of work making these desserts. I would definitely say it was the most stressful/time consuming part of the whole process!

The real test was to find Grain-free, gluten free, dairy free, refined-sugar free recipes that actually taste good enough to serve to a group of people who can eat all of the above. But, I was able to make 3 desserts, all of which were delicious and met all of our family’s criteria! I will share all of these recipes this week!

Pumpkin Pie (Grain free, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free)

1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree or 2 cups fresh baked pumpkin
3 eggs
½ cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
¼  tsp sea salt
½ tsp nutmeg
1 cup coconut milk (full fat)
1 pie crust (recipe below)

Line a lightly greased 9 inch pie pan with your pie crust. 

Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat well.  Add the rest of the ingredients until thoroughly combined.  Pour batter into pie crust.

To avoid the crust getting burned, cover edges of pie pan with strips of aluminum foil until they just over the edges of the pie crust.

Bake at 325 for 45 minutes or until firm.

Pie Crust:

3 cups almond flour

2 tablespoons turbinado

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons cold coconut oil

one large, beaten egg

Combine almond flour, sugar, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl.
Cut the coconut oil into eight smallish chunks and toss them into the mixture. Use your fingers to rub the oil into the flour. I do this by scooping the mixture into my cupped hands and rubbing it firmly between my thumb and fingers, letting the mixture fall back into the bowl. Do this until the mixture resembles coarse sand and no coconut oil chunk is larger than a pea.

Then add the egg all at once and mix it in with your hands until all of the mixture is moist. Let the dough chill in the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Pat the dough into a pie plate until it evenly coats the bottom and sides, and smooth the rim of the crust with your fingers. Chill the crust for another 10 minutes, then bake add pie filling and bake!

Coffee Cake

This weekend we had the opportunity to have a wonderful family lunch with my parents and my mother-in-law! We try and have Sunday lunch at least twice a month with all of us! It is such a wonderful time to fellowship and spend time together. We take turns hosting and brining dishes too, so it makes it more enjoyable for everyone!

This week, my mother-in-law hosted and made us a feast! She had homemade potato salad, bratwursts, tri-tip for me (the bratwursts had wheat in them!), grilled veggies AND baked beans! Needless to say, we all ate like kings! I was asked to bring a dessert.

I had been craving coffee cake for awhile now, and decided to try this recipe  from Spunky Coconut . This is one of my all time favorite blogs! The cool thing about this recipe is the main ingredient…BEANS! But look how moist and flakey the cake was? No one could believe I made this out of beans, and they were so excited about how “healthy” this dessert was!

Coffee Cake:

Add to food processor:
2 cups cooked white beans, room temperature, so they don't cook the eggs (I used Great Northern Organic White Beans, Navy Beans or other white beans could be used!)
6 eggs
1 tsp Vanilla Creme liquid stevia
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Puree well.

Add:
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/3 cup coconut flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder

Puree well.

Pour batter into large rectangular greased pan.

Crumble Topping:
3 cups of walnuts (I didn’t have walnuts, so I used cashews, I think walnuts would have been better, and I found 3 cups was WAY too much, I would recommend 2 cups)!
2 tbsp coconut oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup sucanat
1 tbsp cinnamon

Put all ingredients into food processor, puree until crumby texture is achieved.

Spread the crumble over the top of the batter.
Using a fork or knife, really swirl the topping into the batter.
Then pat the topping down.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 25 minutes.

Peanut Butter Cookies

Well... my plan to post a bunch of recipes last week didn't quite pan out! It ended up being a much busier week than I anticipated!

I did find time on Friday evening to bake some Peanut Butter cookies (yum!) We had some friends over and I wanted to have something to snack on!

These cookies were a hit! They are super simple, and delicious! (recipe from www.nourshingmeals.com)

PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES (Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free):
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Wet Ingredients:

2 tablespoons ground chia seeds (I use an old coffee grinder to grind my chia seeds)

1/4 cup hot water

1/4 cup unsweetened organic applesauce

1/4 cup melted coconut oil

3/4 cup coconut sugar or sucanat (I used sucanat)

1 cup creamy organic peanut butter (I used unsalted, but I salted may yield more flavor)

2 teaspoons vanilla (make sure to get gluten-free!)

Dry Ingredients:

1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups sorghum flour (I had to use closer to 1 3/4 cup)

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Place the ground chia seeds and hot water into a medium-sized mixing bowl; whisk together until stringy. Then add remaining wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer, beat until incorporated..

Add dry ingredients and beat again until the dough forms a ball. Use enough flour until the mixture holds together well.

Roll dough into balls, place onto an ungreased cookie sheet, and press down using the tines of a fork. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack (or eat them warm, like our family likes to do!)

I am really going to try to post a few dinner recipes along with some "Super Foods" this week!