Savory Pecan Biscuits with Garlic-Herb Confit & Crispy Sage

An unusual warm rain blanketed the south this week leaving behind a splintery chill casting a sullen, gray shadow over the bare trees. Days like these give me every reason to remain indoors, swaddled in heavily-worn comfort clothes and a warm vittle to tide me over. Though I often reach for something sweet I've opted for a savory bite this cold winter's eve. 

Pecan biscuits laced with rosemary, topped with a confit of garlic, thyme, meyer lemon and olive oil and finished with a lightly crisped sage leaf. A warm welcome to anyone stepping in from the blustery bellows of the January winds. 

Do not be intimidated by the word confit. It simply refers to a food cooked in fat, in this case, olive oil. I do not typically cook with olive oil, I am rather partial to ghee due to its high burning point, but this recipe is an exception. The garlic and herb infused oil is so delicious, I like to keep a jar on hand for salads.

The biscuits are made with part almond flour and pecan meal. Pecans are always plentiful this time of year in the south, and though growing up I never cared for this particular nut I have grown to revere them as a southern treasure. They are not as sweet as almonds but lend a beautiful texture and flavor. 

So when the warm rains transpire leaving behind a bitter cold and gray leaden days, seek refuge in your home with the ones you love by your side and a warm morsel in your lap. May it remind you that winter's chill is a gift that often goes unrecognized. Like yearlings corralled into the fold so are we pushed and ushered by the baying winds into our homes. 'Tis the season for comfort. 'Tis the season for home.

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Orange Flower Pavlova with Coconut Cream, Pistachio & Meyer Lemon

A new year has begun and with it brings glad tidings and joy abound. Some of you may recall the exhilarating day, three months ago now, when my husband took his last pill. It was a day of celebration though our hopes were held at bay and our peace flanked with caution as we knew it would take three months for the medicine to fully leave his body. Well my friends, those ninety days have passed and my love is healthy and thriving. A part of me never thought this day would come. And it is that part of me which I now lay to rest. I hold a dirge for my doubt, my fear and take on a posture of unyielding faith and peace. 

Forward reaching I anticipate a year of health and continued inspiration as we maintain our diet. I also have hopes to grow our family, Lord willing. To hold a little one in my arms, feeling the abiding ardor swell, listening to the lilt of its heart beat against my chest...yes these are the joys I hope to call my own this year. 

So much is behind us; I look forward and hold dear my resolutions which stand untarnished and innocent, a child like faith, a wayward naiveté gilded with sweet abandon. I lay it all down, release my hold, and receive this new year with a humbled heart.

And what better way to usher in the new year than with a pavlova. Simply meringue with a few adornments, pavlova is airy and sweet, light on the palate and tummy. My take on this traditional dish involves egg whites and orange blossom water whisked with a simple syrup made with country honey and water until billowy. Topped with crushed pistachios and baked at a low temperature until the outside forms a crispy crust while the inside maintains a spongy texture similar to that of a marshmallow. To finish I top with a generous dollop of whipped coconut milk and fresh meyer lemon zest. 

The result is heavenly. Sweet and soft, yet with a slight crunch and tang from the lemon zest. I find it imperative to welcome each new year with this pavlova gracing our table, yours as well. 

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Rosemary & Walnut Flour Crepes with Wilted Greens, Apples & Squash

Last night we lit our first fire. The warm embers released their zealous billows of heat, flushing my cheeks while the boughs of holly shivered outside the window. When the last log was stripped bare I gazed into its glowing cinders thankful for one of winter's most comforting charms.

I had hoped to cast on another log tonight, but the day was rather balmy and fickle, little deserving of a roaring fire. But my hope is in the days to come. Cooler temperatures will arive from the west as will my loving in-laws, whom I terribly miss. So perhaps in a day or two I shall enjoy my fire once more, family by my side, our cheeks aglow with gaiety and our hearts pulsing with thanksgiving.

As I prepare for the reunions and festivities of the week I continue to experiment with tasteful, grain free dishes to accompany the venison and smoked turkey that will grace our Thanksgiving table. A simple crepe made with walnut flour enfolds a savory mix of wilted kale sauteed with garlic and onion, balsamic glazed honeycrisp apples and butternut squash. Rolled up and trimmed with sweet pomegranate. A jovial dish in every way.

So while we fawn over the beloved rituals of the holiday let us remember that it is with grateful and selfless hearts we approuch our Thanksgiving table. May each dish be made with love and our conversations be sweet and life-giving. And may those vehement flames of the roaring fire comfort and warm your soul.

I wish you and your family a most blessed Thanksgiving!

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A Harvest Gift: Spiced Ginger Cakes & Rosemary Apple Butter

While many begin the frantic two-step of holiday frenzy I try to remind myself that these cooler months call for a slower, more introspective way of life. I am nearing the end of a horrible cold so I have in fact had plenty of time with my thoughts. Even now as I type and my mind flirts with the notion of a hot bath and warm bed I sigh with relief that the month of November has arrived. I suspect our first fire shall be lit early next week and I shiver with anticipation.

In honor of such a colorful month I  put together a gift of sorts, for those in need of some encouragement or perhaps a sweet morsel to lift their spirits. Spiced ginger cake, akin to gingerbread but not as robust. Rosemary apple butter, a flavorful spread to grace any slice of toast (or cake). And lastly, a small journal and pencil to gather one's thoughts, prayers, dreams and inspirations. 

Everything budled in a sea of cotton muslin, sealed with brown paper, twine and foraged treasures from the yard. A simple way to share the harvest of such a illustrious time of year. 

These next weeks the shadows will slowly gather and lurk at our windows. The herald of skylarks will warble one final song before flying to warmer ground.  And the richly colored leaves shall make one last procession down our streets until all is bare, stark in the bitter cold that will knock its staunch hand at our front doors. 

So in the meantime, join me as I relish this beautiful month and begin to turn my heart, which is so easily self-seeking, towards others.

Happy November to you all!

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Riesling Poached Pear Tart with Chai Spiced Custard & Almond Crust

The pear. A belittled fruit quite often outshone by its more round and less gritty cousin, the apple. Free formed and more oblong the pear sneaks up on you in the height of early autumn, impishly enticing you with its warm hues and earthy bouquet. Delicate are its features. The skin, fragile and imperfectly speckled. The flesh, textured and permeable. The sweet, slightly thick nectar that will undoubtedly end up on your chin. One bite fills you with wistful longings of curry shaded leaves crunching beneath your feet, a penetrable breeze weaving its way through your hair, and the priceless moment when you realize the most poetic of seasons has given you its choicest fruit. 

Though a pear is beautifully satisfying on its own I must say when poached in warm spices it takes on a new form, one that is mysterious and comforting.  This tart is a simple way to experience the pear at its finest. Poached slowly in sweet white wine, cinnamon and vanilla the pears take on an incandescently soft nature. The custard, made with raw cocoa butter and laced with chai spices, is a creamy curd like spread that compliments the pears without outshining them. 

Nutty and slightly sweet from the almonds the crust creates a lovely shell for the smooth custard and soft pears. Though it holds its form nicely the almond crust crumbles perfectly in your mouth leaving you with little remembrance of your grandmother's traditional tart crust recipe.

So as you carve your pumpkins and watch the leaves swirl like gossamer in a cool breeze remember 'tis the season of the pear, a most delicate fruit sure to compliment any autumn feast. 

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Harvest Cake with Vanilla Cream

If there is a befitting time for a cake it would be today. Not only are we gathering the last of the summer harvest anticipating the turning of seasons but we find ourselves in a fit of celebration. Eighteen months of praying, wondering, researching and being challenged to our core all lead up to this day. This morning my husband took one less pill than he did yesterday. Next week he will take another less and so on until by the end of this month my husband will be medicine free for the first time in ten years. I tear up at the thought.

For those of you who are new to our story you should read this post, which in the the shell of a nut, explains how we have gotten up to this point. And for those of you who have so faithfully followed along I thank you for helping us arrive to this day, one I thought we would never see.

During this season of transition we desperately implore you to join us in prayer for Jordan's body, that it will respond with ease and we will both be protected against anxiety or worry. Join us as we trust the Lord for complete remission and restoration. Please pray that we will continue to be disciplined with the diet and continue to find joy in caring for our bodies and giving it the fuel it needs. 

Admittedly, I am scared. My carnal self indulges in all of the "what if's" imaginable. So I ask all of you, an accountability of sorts, to help me toil through my fears and emerge hopeful and expectant that good things are to come. "Behold the old is gone, the new has come"-2 Cor 5:17

Today is as good as any day to lay our fears down and trust.

Every celebration should have a proper cake. So in SCD fashion I have brought together flavors of this harvest season, all grain, gluten, diary and processed sugar free. If you prefer a smaller morsel this recipe would make a fine batch of muffins. Enjoy!

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Spiced Banana Almond Meal Pancakes

Prior to our SCD diet, breakfast was quite a boring event in our home. I would laziliy get stuck in a rut usually consisting of the same bowl of Kashi Cinnamon Harvest every morning, occasionnaly mixing things up with some kefir and fruit. But come Saturday morning I would whip up a high stack of pancakes to tie us over as we casually did our honey do's, read books, or just plain veg'ed. 

Well, cutting grains, sugar, starch, and dairy from our diet meant no more Saturday morning pancakes. My one big "hoorah" breakfast was on the no-no list, and I struggled with finding hearty alternatives. Sure, I made a myriad of fritattas and eggy dishes, but when my eyes fluttered open on those idle Saturday mornings I had an insatiable hankering for fluffy pancakes. I scoured the internet searching for alternatives and found several recipes for almond flour pancakes. So with much trial and error I have found a combination to satisfy our cravings.

The filling, topping and spice combinations are endless so feel free to get creative with this dish. I know many of you out there are gluten and/or grain free so I encourage you to put aside the eggs, forget that boring greek yogurt, and move on from that banana with peanut butter......reclaim your Saturday morning breakfast and whip up some pancakes the whole family can enjoy!

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Heirloom Tomato Salad with Almond Crusted Okra & Design Sponge

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes!! My love tank overflows! And thank you Design Sponge for featuring our little nest on Sneak Peak, what an honor!

Now that we are back in the south I have had such a fun time finding southern treasures that did not exist in Seattle such as fresh okra, local heirloom tomatoes, lady peas, chilton county peaches, muscadines, lima beans and of course the delectable collard greens. All of these flavors muster up nostalgia of long summer days as a child when my imagination roamed wild and dancing with the fireflies was my idea of a good time. Hours were spent in the Alabama heat, and in a fit of excitement I would busily spend my time talking with the sparrows and pileated wood peckers. Often I would conjure up songs to serenade my forest friends and sway with the trees on a rope swing that I managed to turn into a space ship, boat, or cloud....a vessel to take me up up and away into the Neverland of my mind. And when my fingernails were packed with dirt, my pigtails tussled into something a hen would lay her eggs in, and my clothes clumsily stained with mud and grass I would hear my mother calling from afar that dinner was ready. I would slowly say goodbyes to my forest friends, perhaps take another twirl with the lightening bugs and in Aurora fashion I would end in song ....usually a high pitched melody to close the events of the day. 

With a full heart and hunger in my belly I would make my way inside, greeted by family and a plate of creamed corn, lady peas, tomato pie, bbq chicken and a peach cobbler. Yes, those were my summer days. Unabandoned, innocent and sweet. Just as I stored up those lightening bugs in a jar I too store up these precious memories in my heart and pray that when walking with my husband on these warm summer evenings I may be as bold to take a twirl or croon a happy tune and allow myself to be ten again, if only for a moment.

Isn't it amazing that all of that can birth from a single plate of heirloom tomatoes and okra? Our minds are fickle things. Just when I feel all grown up and mature I allow something as petty as friend okra to transport me to my youth. For an instant my worldly desires fade and I long to be that carefree girl on the swing again.

But alas, I am quickly hit with the reality that I am no longer the girl on the swing, but I do manage to hold on to a piece of her that I pray never gets taken away. And I am thankful that even on our strict diet we can still enjoy the flavors of my youth. So with that, I leave you with a recipe that is the epitome of Alabama cuisine. No compromise of flavor here...just simple, local and fresh produce gussied up in southern fashion. Enjoy!

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Twenty Six

Another year has come and gone and just like that I am now a step closer to the inevitable thirties, which might I add are said to be the prime years. These past 365 days have been a whirlwind of change, good change. A new diet, a new city, a new home and a now a fresh new start as I embrace another year of life.

As I look back on the ebb and flow of this past year I recall where I have achieved, where I have failed and it is with a thankful heart I count my blessings, as Mr. Crosby himself would instruct. When I think about my 'birth' day I try to dig past my carnal desires of gifts and being doted on and try to embrace the fact I have lived another year. I have been given a gift to do something with my life and although my confidence often waivers I do pray I continue to live purposefully. 

My husband and I shared a restful weekend at the beach, oh the glorious white sands, and while enjoying my birthday dinner I expounded upon hopes for the upcoming year. I thought since this blog is such a personal and treasured space for me I would share them with you, an accountablity of sorts, so that when June of 2012 rolls its hot and humid head around the corner we may all look back and recollect...

First and foremost I am looking forward to my husband getting off of his medicine (hopefully at end of summer or early fall). This will be such a special time for us as we put our SCD diet to the test and pray that my husband begins a season of remission. 

I am also looking forward to a more calm year, not lackadaisical or overly content, but calm. This past year was a myriad of changes not to mention a roller coaster of emotions so I am looking forward to peace and time to truly invest in what matters most...relationships and gifts I so easily try to bury.

Lastly, I am expecting to be stretched! And by stretched I mean streeeeeeetched....forced out of my comfort zone and thrown into situations I so often avoid. Whether it means singing in front of a crowd again, praying with stranger, being bold to stand up for myself, not worrying what others think, donating my free time, giving more, loving more, opening my home more often, letting go of petty pursuits, meeting new people, being more adventurous, speaking my husband's love language, communicating my love language....it is endless my friends, simply endless the possibilities of growth this new year holds. 

Twenty Six I embrace you with open arms and say "Grow me. Mature me. Make me a better woman, wife, daughter, sister, friend and perhaps one day ...a mother. I am excited and eager for what is to come!"

Now no birthday would be complete without a cake. And despite being on a sugar, grain, gluten and milk free diet I was able to enjoy a sweet, moist slice of goodness. This cake, made with almond flour, is delicately seasoned with almond extract and topped with freshly picked cherries.  I know I am biased but I have found I prefer cakes made with almond flour rather than regular flour. The almond flour, when baked, brings out the most delicious toasted nutty flavor that gives so much depth to the dessert and is never dry. 

The carbs in this recipe are very minimal, leaving you with a high protein treat perfect for any celebration or just to welcome the arrival of summer.

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Celebrating Three Years: Chamomile & Honey Almond Meal Muffins

Three years ago yesterday I married my best friend! To my husband, I thank you for your unconditional love that has so penetrated my heart I could burst! Thank you for bringing me out of my introverted shell, encouraging me through all of my endeavors even when I fail, making me feel beautiful despite my grubby days when I lounge in my sweats and have some record breaking greasy hair, laughing at my seemingly funny jokes, being sensitive towards me when I feel sad and fragile, leading me and bringing out the best in myself. You are my wingman, my love and I am thankful for three years and many more spent by your side.

To pair with some celebratory bubbly I have made a batch of chamomile and honey muffins made with almond flour. Typically when one flavors with chamomile some tea bags are involved, but in this particular recipe I used actual dried chamomile flowers, ground up ever so finely. The taste is subtle yet definitely peaks an interest.

I found these best straight out of the oven with a pat of fresh ghee or coconut oil :)

 And I thought I would share a snippet of our magical day with you, how fast it flew by....

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