The Country Wife Recommends…Holiday Baking Essentials {Ingredients–Healthified!}

November 27, 2017December 4, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

So, last week I sort of left you hanging. Sorry about that.

But to be honest, I wasn’t sure how well you’d take this third and final installment of “The Country Wife Recommends…Holiday Baking Essentials” post series.

As you can see by the title, we are revisiting my very favorite ingredients from last week and attempting to healthify them. And usually, for most of us, the holidays aren’t so much about healthifiying. It’s about giving yourself a break and enjoying the holiday season and those goodies that come with it.

However, if you’ve been following along with me here at Country Wife Chronicles very long then you also know that I’m on a bit of a real food for real life journey.

And while I will be baking with the ingredients I shared with you last week, I will also be doing some baking with the ingredients I’m sharing with you this week. It’s about moderation and substitutions where possible. It’s about keeping it simple while choosing health.

How to Freeze Fresh Peaches (without sugar)

September 4, 2017September 5, 2017 - The Country Wife 2 Comments

Not so long ago, here on Country Wife Chronicles, I shared with you my journey to becoming a bit more self-sufficient. And one of the tips I shared with you was to “Learn to preserve.”

Today’s post is a prime example of doing just that. Preserving the yummy, juicy, summery goodness of fresh peaches to enjoy all year long.

And even better, preserving these gorgeous, plump, uber-ripe peaches without any added sugar. Simply natural fresh frozen peaches can’t be beat…

Gluten-Free Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

June 5, 2017June 4, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

Are you craving a little something warm and comforting? Because these warm, melt-in-your-mouth moist banana muffins will surely satisfy your craving!

I’m not sure if banana muffins technically qualify as a comfort food, but they sure do in my book! I love piping hot sweet bread taken straight from the oven and slathered with a copious amount of high quality salty butter. Mmmm… The immediately melting butter seeps into all the nooks and crannies and enhances the overall flavor with every single bite. It’s quite divine.

There is just something about the warm aroma that banana bread emits as it is baking. It brightens moods, eases anxiety, and just smells of happiness.

Gluten-Free Nectarine Galette

January 23, 2017February 10, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

Ellie over at Ellie Eats made her way into the Paleoshere a few years ago. She’s a bright young lady, one I’m privileged to say I’m related to, with a knack for coming up with healthy creations in the kitchen. So, when I decided I wanted to explore the Paleo world a bit, I searched her blog for recipes to incorporate into our weekly meal plan.

This is my take on her Pear Galette recipe, but I swapped out the pears for some fresh, in-season nectarines. And I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised with this one—especially for a Paleo recipe.

Gluten-Free Flour Blends

January 16, 2017February 10, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

In an attempt to try out some gluten-free (GF) baking recipes, I’ve been exploring GF flour blends. Ok, if I’m being honest, after reading a bit about some digestive issues I was suffering from I decided that maybe gluten was having an impact on my intestinal tract. So, in a confident, “I’m going to get healthy” moment I splurged and bought a gigantic bag of coconut flour from Sam’s Club…thinking it would work for a straight up 1-to-1 switch out for all-purpose flour. No, nope, not really. Unless you are going for super-flat and sawdust grit in your recipes. Just sayin’.

Needless to say this massive fail on my part definitely got me thinking that maybe eating healthy sweets just isn’t meant to taste good. So I shoved the coconut flour to the back of my cabinet after a few disappointing recipe attempts and went back to my usual ingredients.

Mexi-Style Breakfast Hash

November 28, 2016February 10, 2017 - The Country Wife Leave a comment

When Wildland Man is away and my motivation is lacking in the kitchen, I find that a nice big-batch meal is ideal. I work my magic, or lack there of, in the kitchen once for a whole lot of pay out, and then I have leftovers on hand throughout the week to reach for when I’m not wanting to make anything new. Which happens a lot. I’ve mentioned my issues with this before, right?

This breakfast hash is the perfect big-batch dish—it is so savory and yummy that I can honestly eat it for any meal of the day—not just breakfast.