Sharing a wonderful modern take on chalkboard art from Southern Spruce for Thanksgiving. The art is available for instant download. Be sure to visit click on the link and visit the Etsy shop ... there are many more wonderful chalkboard art selections!
Thank you for reading my blog and allowing be to be a part of your life. I am so very grateful!
And, don't miss my Pumpkin Oatmeal Gluten-Free Dog Treatrecipe from a previous post ... it's Indigo & Lily's favorite! I'll be baking while I'm watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade ... must see the Snoopy float!
Every year at Thanksgiving, my mind excitedly turns to holiday baking and these Chocolate Crinkle Cookies from Sweet Potato Chronicles are at the top of the list. I made them last year for the first time and brought them to our Christmas Eve dinner and they were the hit of the party. Perfect for gifts, but just be careful ... they are so addictive that it's a challenge not to eat a dozen yourself when baking them!
I also love that these are egg and dairy-free. Soft and chewy and they just look like Christmas! Click here for the recipe and great step-by-step instructions.
If you have the Paprika recipe app and would like this recipe in a downloadable format, please email me and I'll send it to you.
I'm excited to share this Butternut Squash & Pear Soup recipe today from Jacquelyn at Lark & Linen. This would be a wonderful appetizer or first course for Thanksgiving dinner. As you may have noticed, I'm a huge fan of butternut squash and have posted several recipes using them. I have roasted butternut squash in my refrigerator constantly!
I plan to vary the preparation of this recipe by roasting the diced butternut squash and pear together in the oven at 425° for 20-25 minutes until slightly caramelized. I prefer this instead of softening them in the stock pot as I love the flavor that roasting the squash adds to any dish. And, roasted pears - yum! I will also sub the heavy cream for Greek yogurt.
Click here for the recipe and to check out Lark & Linen blog ... I think you'll be glad you did!
Thomas Darnell's larger-than-life peony oil paintings are breathtakingly realistic and look more like a hi-resolution photograph than a painting. At least in pictures ... oh how I would love to see them in person! Incredible detail, wonderful light and softness are characteristic of each painting. I so admire the vision and confidence it takes to create a painting of this scale!
Thomas is an American born artist who now lives in the south of France near the Mediterranean sea, where he is inspired by the quality of light and the landscape. To give you an idea of the size and scale of his work, below is a photo of Thomas painting one of his huge Peony pieces.
To see more of Thomas's work and learn more about him, be sure to visit his website. I'm sure you'll be glad you did. Thank you for inspiring me today Thomas!
I can't help but share the adorable pictures of 2 year-old Beau and his rescue puppy, Theo, that have gone viral on Instagram this week. Many news shows and and media have been broadcasting them and it's an amazing story. Mother Jessica Shyba started posting Theo & Beau's daily naps on her blog, Momma's Gone City, and to Instagram and she has quickly garnered a huge following.
Jessica describes their daily naps as "the most organic and beautiful friendship I have ever witnessed." If you are on Instagram, you can start following #TheoandBeau at Momma's Gone City. Check out more pictures and videos on Jessica's blog, Momma's Gone City ... I'm sure they'll make you smile!
Theo was adopted from the SPCA.
Be sure to visit or donate to your local SPCA this holiday season!
I tend to bake a lot of sweet breads as they are so quick to whip up and great for sharing with family and friends. I also love their versatility in serving ... they are wonderful for breakfast, as a snack or dessert. I was playing around in the kitchen this weekend and created this low-fat Banana Date Bread that turned out super moist and wonderfully sweet. My husband gave it two thumbs up and it after giving one loaf to a dear friend, the remaining loaf was gone in a day!
Banana Date Bread {Low-Fat}
recipe by: Laura Jolna
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 55 min
Makes: Approx 2 loaves Ingredients:
1 cup flour
3/4 cup oat flour or finely ground oatmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/3 cups turbinado sugar
1 cup ripe mashed bananas (2 large or 3 medium)
2 egg, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup water
1 cup dates, chopped
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp water
2-3 drops vanilla extract
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk or sift together flour, oat flour, salt, & baking soda in a medium mixing bowl. Set aside.
Using a Kitchenaid mixer or hand mixer, combine sugar, banana, eggs, oil, sour cream, vanilla extract & water; mix well.
Add flour mixture to wet mixture a little at a time and mix until well blended.
Stir in chopped dates.
Pour batter into two 8" bread loaf pans coated with canola oil spray.
Bake for 50-55 min or until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool on wire racks for 5 minutes; remove from bread pans and cool completely.
For icing, mix together powdered sugar, water and vanilla extract drops in a small bowl with a wire whisk. Refrigerate for 15 minutes or longer, depending upon how runny it is. Drizzle on top of cooled bread loaves. Enjoy!
Tips:
You can sub the oat flour with regular flour if you don't have it on hand.
I highly recommend using turbinado sugar over white sugar in this recipe. It adds a wonderful caramelized flavor and is heads above white sugar.
Low-fat Greek yogurt or part-skim ricotta cheese can be substitued for the sour cream. Be sure not to use low-fat ricotta!
I use the disposable 8" eco-foil or ez-foil bread pans and they make a HUGE difference in how the bread comes out. With a larger, commercial pan, the edges of the bread tend to cook more quickly before the center is done and half the bread comes out tougher. The key to evenly moist bread is using two of the smaller disposable pans. And, I wash and reuse them so they are super economical and environmental friendly!
Don't miss my other sweet bread recipes from previous posts....
