Tag: vegetarian

Toddler and Husband Approved Apple Cinnamon Muffins (packed with nutrients and flavor too!)

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If you follow my Instagram page (thatcultivatedlife.life) than you have probably seen me baking a ton in the kitchen with my 1 year old.

Yeah that’s right, baking with my 1 year old! Call me crazy, but it has been so fun, and she absolutely LOVES it.

I’ve been looking for creative baking ideas that are easy (and nutritious) so that she can be more involved in the kitchen with me. I figure if I’m gonna be baking more, I am gonna let her eat it… and if I’m gonna let her eat, it I want it to be healthy and not a sugar bomb.

So I’ve been hitting the drawing board and creating new recipes to test in the kitchen with her.

She has mastered pancakes, and moved on to cookies, and I can only eat so many of those. So yesterday, I felt it was time to move on to the world of muffins! So I sat down and wrote down a recipe I hoped would work out… it worked out ridiculously well!

I wanted to make sure I wasn’t jaded about how delicious they were, so I shared them with a few people. First my daughter, who devoured hers, without sharing with her dog, or uttering a single noise… that means she was fully enjoying it. I also brought some to my in-laws, my husband and my cousin… all of them said they were great.

So I figured I would share it with you all too!

I highly encourage you to make these yummy muffins and get your kids involved.

It’s gonna get messy, they will probably spill things all over the place, but they will have so much fun! They will get a basic idea of where food comes from, and feel a better connection to it.

It also may show them a new hobby they never knew they loved! I have been baking and cooking in the kitchen since I was 5 (thanks Grandma Bracken), and to this day it’s my therapy.

Embrace the mess, let go of perfection, and get those kiddos cooking! And if it’s not your thing, no judgment here. Just give these a whirl yourself and enjoy!

So without further adieu, the yummy gluten free, egg free muffins of your dreams…

Ingredients

  • 2 cups almond or oat flour (I used almond)
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 2 flax eggs (2 TBS flax meal, 6 Tbs water, mix together and set aside for 5 minutes)
  • 1/2 cup maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
  • 1/2 cup of unsweetened vanilla almond milk (or oat milk)
  • 2 small Granny Smith apples diced and tossed in about 2 tsp of flour (this helps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin)

Preheat your oven to 350°. Grease a muffin tin. This will make about 9 regular sized muffins.

Mix together all dry ingredients. Add the syrup, apple sauce and almond milk and mix well. Add the diced apples and fold into your batter. Pour into the muffin tin and bake for 1 hour, or until you can pull a toothpick out of the center cleanly. Allow to fully cool in the tin (they’ll continue to bake for a few minutes out of the oven), and enjoy!

Happy baking! Let me know if you made these and tag me on Instagram or Facebook! (@thatcultivated.life).

Creamy and Simple Butternut and Sweet Potato Soup

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It’s finally here! Autumn has officially hit! There’s a crispness to our morning air, the leaves are beginning to change, the days are a little bit shorter, and girls have officially broken out the PSL lattes!

I myself LOVE this season! I love the cooler weather, wearing sweaters, the smell in the air…. but mostly I love the food! The farm stand starts stocking my favorite veggies this time of year. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes and winter squash…. one of my absolute favorites being Butternut!

I also have been known to love a good bowl of soup, so having the cool weather as an excuse to whip up a pot of soup on the regular makes me happy! I’ve already made about 3 different soups and it’s only been officially fall for a week now.

Sadly when I first met my husband he proclaimed that he HATED soup. I know! I was just as shocked as you are! How could anyone hate soup?! It’s warm, it’s comforting, filling and it’s flavorful!

This did not stop me from pumping out soup after soup on a mission to change his mind.

Happily, I can tell you that he no longer hates soup. He will eat any soup I give him and he usually asks for more! He does however favor a creamy soup (especially on colder days).

I made this particular soup after a busy day at the farm stand. One of my favorite parts of making soup is how easy it can be! You literally cut everything up, throw it in a pot and walk away. That’s the kind of dinner I can get on board with during this time of year… especially now when I’m working a full time job and helping out at the stand on weekends and I’m 5 months pregnant.

I literally stood at the farm stand after work and saw butternut squash and sweet potatoes and decided to challenge myself to a new soup. I am so glad I did because this one is definitely a new favorite!

Not only is this husband approved, but this one is also sister in law approved as well! She happened to be over for dinner that night and the two of them loved it!

So if you’re not sure to do with our butternut squash and want to try a twist on your usual butternut squash soup recipe, give this one a whirl! It is so simple, very minimal ingredients and SO delicious!

Happy cooking!

1 Butternut squash chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 sweet medium potatoes chopped

1 onion chopped

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tbs olive oil

4 cups veggie stock

1 can coconut milk

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp fresh pepper

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sage

1/2 tsp thyme

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp chili powder

Optional topping: crumbled bacon…. I usually don’t add it because the soup is delicious on its own but my husband LOVES to!

  1. In a large soup pot heat olive oil and add onion and garlic. Sauté for about 2 minutes or until they begin to sweat (or the onions start to become translucent).
  2. Add the chopped carrots, butternut squash and sweet potato and stir. I like to let it cook for about a minute.
  3. Throw in your spices and stir everything together, again let them cook for another minute so the flavors can really sink into those veggies.
  4. Add you veggie or chicken stock and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25 min.
  5. Add in your coconut milk stir well, and cook for another 5 min.
  6. Place soup in a blender or food processor or use my favorite tool and immersion blender to purée!

Serve it to your family, friends or company and enjoy!

Love and light,

Rachael Krupski

Rainy Day Summer Soup!

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Ok. So, I know it’s summer and all, but I can’t stop craving soup! I have had just about all the salad I can stand over the past few months. Once in a while mama wants a hot tasty comfort meal. My pregnancy cravings seem to sending me in a soup spiral! This baby is all about a comforting bowl of soup these days!

Luckily, we’ve had quite a few rainy days which I felt justified me whipping up a yummy pot of homemade soup!

My husband and I have very different views on what a meal should be. I could live on a bowl of soup or 3 a day, and Nick… well to be frank, he’s a soup hater. I KNOW?! Who hates soup? Am I right?

Well as it turns out, he may be converted! After having a bowl of this summer veggie soup, Nick actually got up for seconds! Not only that but he said “babe are you sure this is healthy?! It’s so good!” Why yes this soup is absolutely 100% healthy, and still 100% Hubby approved. This is a huge win in my book!

The best part about this soup is it could not be easier to throw together. There are only a few simple ingredients, all of which are in season at the moment. I literally walked around the farm and our farm stand and picked my favorite summer veggies and whipped this baby up. I grabbed a zucchini, yellow squash, onion, potatoes, and of course our famous Krupski Farms white corn (any corn will do though) and got to work! I think I will be making this soup again and again until summer ends!

Like I said, the recipe is super simple and and quick! Give it a try, and see what you think!

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 35 min

Servings: 4-5

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup potatoes chopped
  • 1 medium zuchinni
  • 1 yellow squash
  • 1/2 onion chopped
  • 2 gloves of garlic minced
  • 1 Tbs coconut oil (or EVOO)
  • 5 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
  • 1/4 tsp fresh rosemary
  • 1/2 tsp fresh thyme
  • 1 heaping tsp fresh parsley
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste (I used about 1 tsp salt because my stock was unsalted)
    Heat coconut oil in large sauce pan, then add onion and sauté for 1 minute.
    Add garlic to pan and sauté garlic and onion until they both begin to sweat.
    Add potatoes and sauté for another 2 minutes, then add remaining vegetables and all seasoning. Cook for another 2 minutes.
    Pour in the 5 cups or vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Once the soup comes to a rapid boil, reduce to a simmer. Allow the soup to simmer for about 25 minutes then enjoy!

See! How simple is that?! This soup is healthy, hearty, and so quick and simple to make! It’s a hit in our house and I’m sure I will be making a few more pots before summer is over to freeze for the winter!

I hope you try this recipe out and enjoy it as much as we do! If you try it, leave me a comment letting me know what you think!

Happy cooking!

Love and light,

Rachael Krupski