Grow self-awareness to “believe in yourself” never grows old. That mantra can change your entire day and how you feel about yourself… and still be you, but better!
Be You and Believe in Yourself! 🪞And love yourself with chocolate heart cookies. A health conscious sweet cookie recipe below… 🧡
A few weeks ago, I published Part 1 (of this 2-part series) on using yoga meditation as a way to develop and grow self-awareness for your happiness. And the one thing yoga and your happiness have in common is self-love.
Think about this, you are loving on yourself when you’re focused inward (and in yoga pretzel bends 🥨).
…So first and foremost, love yourself first.
And if that’s what you’re doing, then that love energy radiates and carries over to the (and your) world that needs more light.
And know that the opposite of love is fear. (It’s not hate that can be usually what we’re constantly upset about).
And by knowing this, we can do something about it as we grow self-awareness.
Our ego is built-into our brain construction that serves up internal obscure thought messages to us every day in a “lizard brain” protection way. Triggers turn into threats in the subconscious ego mind and thrives in our dark area where self-love is missing.
So to grow, we want to bring back love to restore.
Ego fear shows up first in our thoughts, so we have a chance then to shut it down, walk away, change our thoughts, and replace with loving thoughts that grow self-awareness and our happiness.
And if anyone you know thinks they’re not affected, then their ego is definitely playing them every day.
As silly as it can sound to our ego minds, telling yourself and believing “I am loved” (or substitute with your fave loving mantra to build yourself up) will eventually kick out the ugly ego imposter ways.
And then you have a concrete go-to way that helps the next time. And you count on that there will be a next time whether it’s later in the day, week, or a few weeks away.
And if this ego idea is newer to you, think of ego as fear and how you feel when you’re scared in some way. Similarly, an unhealthy amount of ego shows up from time to time from some situational trigger, memory, or enemy forces (where ego stands for Edging God Out if you’re spiritual).
And know that ego fear is disguised on a platter to you in your subconscious thoughts, behaviors, and decisions. More serious is when it shows up in you, and that affects others in your actions if the thought is allowed to grow.
So, do yourself good…
Healthy Love yourself more… and stop the ego fear madness!
When you bring out the accumulated baggage in self-awareness that you’ve been carrying around already too long, let it go, and magnify self-love, then you’re on your merry way to personal happiness.
I wrote a special Valentine’s Day personal happiness article on self-love (the most important love relationship you can have, and that’s no hype!)… so, enjoy and I’ll leave you here with some tasty chocolate biscuits 🍪 for your own sweet inspo.
Are you in the pursuit of happiness? Chickpea pie (like the one baked in love above) makes me hap-pea. And happiness is for a moment that’s different than meaningful joy.
This is a life area I think many people these days are redefining as their expectations for happiness fell short at least in the past few years.
And they don’t know what to do to change that as an undercurrent running in their minds as external situations are getting tougher.
If that’s you, be encouraged you’re in good company. We’ve all had to change situations that we didn’t choose.
And I’m gonna share some nuggets on how to help change the tide (and how I changed my ways).
First of all, I can totally relate to a chain of disappointments. And that’s how I got to see them as God’s appointments.
I was dealt some lemons… and I don’t know anyone who hasn’t who has lived this life for at least a quarter of a century.
Losses, unhappy situations, and failures are hard to swallow (and doesn’t help the pursuit of happiness). But going through is the fastest way to get to the other side. We often slow our progress by having pity parties. I know I did until I finally caught on.
By being aware you focus on the positives so you can thrive and not dwell on the same stuck feelings and thoughts that come back like a boomerang.
Your mind-body remembers, and so every February when nothing was going on… I was reminded of what wasn’t going on that I could’ve buried earlier if I knew what to do.
But waiting seasons are needed, and that’s how I gradually learned how to flip the switch in not getting what I wanted. And trade that in for contentment and deeper joy, which produces feeling good.
And that’s what those who seem to have it all on the outside, don’t have…
I started out my young adult life wanting the same desires and dreams that most people have: a corporate job they are successful and feel good about (or at least aren’t feeling miserable in), a family of their own, good relationships, nice stuff, a college degree or two, and financial freedom.
These were the same sort of accomplishments many in the Washington DC metro area I grew up in, had.
But being in a high-pressure cooker environment that feeds into high-achieving egos didn’t help. That encouraged more of a self-absorbed life that turns into unfulfilling boredom and unhappiness.
After a while, I snapped out thinking, “there’s got to be more to life than just this.”
And while I had scattered bits and pieces of that old life description that carried me through my earlier years, that’s not the life I have now.
But what I do have today is a different proud lens to look out from, that’s everyday contentment. It’s not the same happiness lens that I used to aspire to that became a never-ending, up-and-down roller coaster ride.
…I hated that lifestyle based on external situations because the down was always a hard fall and a huge contrast from the going up feelings that felt good for the moment.
The problem with that is that you’re always chasing the next thing and high that seems better. It’s a bottomless pit because the feeling can never be satiated.
In this life, we always grow weary or tired of anything after a while. A good thing never stays good the same way for us. Everything is temporary, as are feelings.
But if you’re feeling deeper joy (that comes from the spirit) inside you every day, that’s sustaining for the soul (mind, body, free-will, and emotions). We can’t change the way we’re wired as humans.
And you’re not your mind-body that drives your thoughts and feelings, even though you make the decisions.
So what helps to feel good every day is to be productive, just like you need good sleep every day so you have energy.
And joy energy is needed to get more out of this life so you can show up creative, and have enough to give out to others.
Here are a couple of good idea reminders:
1. Tune into the better daily channels for inner peace.
So if you’re like most in the pursuit of happiness, pay attention to the channels brought in, both external in what to listen to and watch, and internal thoughts aligned with the spirit (the whispers that bring out the joy).
Since I’m not in pursuit of the happiness that I started my life with, I listen to my inner desires.
Sometimes I’m a tired Vata because I don’t stick to an exact sleep routine (…good to get to bed early and get your proper ZZZ’s I tell my Night Owl self). But that’s all fixable with a cuppa joe and the next night’s sleep.
…What’s not fixable is waking up and focusing on the wrong desires (or strategy of life if you want to be more concrete).
And so when I get going, I have purpose and joy inside me that I get to make progress and impact in the day, and have meaningful work. I do life my way with freedom and space… and without pressures that sink in that create stress. I set a schedule that works for me, and when I get paid I can do more of the things I love. 🧡
That’s not how it was when I settled in as an employee. Or when I was starting out on my own.
If this or your dream life is more what you want and it’s not what you have today, start by figuring out how you can build that life by taking one baby step at a time. And then you’ll get more clarity from that step and in the next step.
See how you can get a few extra hours of time and freedom to do what you want.
…And then you won’t have regrets about your work life when you look back at the years that went by.
That was a big driver for me.
And looking back, none of the past work situations are relevant to the actual work I do today, even though they propelled me forward to keep growing and use some of the experiences gained for my next moves.
And not even the budding small business blog I had back in 2009 that took me back into a new corporate working life. And guess what?… yours truly here is still blogging today on more meaningful topics. ✍️
Your life doesn’t have to stay in the same lines it started in. No one says a straight-line work path to retirement is the best life except for culture and critics. If you take a life-changing sabbatical at 35 you get to take all that gained information you gathered and use it for the rest of your life.
And eventually, every situation and everyone’s situation changes.
And that’s more evidence that situations good or bad, happy or sad, are fleeting. What’s lasting is YOU who has come out with more knowledge and experiences. And maybe good memories too.
In the process of tough circumstances, trials, and setbacks, you become more resilient, patient, content, and learn what this life is more about so you can lean into what is good for your life that produces happiness.
And that brings me to a deeper #2…
2. Find out what God wants from you
…And as my life unraveled I realized I was chasing the wrong dreams, and some led to problems and that helped me find my new life dreams.
And then even some healthy dreams that I was successful at and growing didn’t pan out because the timing wasn’t right (which means God wanted me somewhere else).
So, I’m actually writing a new book about finding this newer life (that everyone can)… and how to more easily co-create and get to fulfill bigger plans and heart dreams that were promised in your design before you were born.
…And in my old life, I always had healthy achieving desires. But they weren’t the exact ones that were designed for me by the Creator who created it all. His plan takes faith, belief, and patience. There’s a process.
That’s what I’ve come to know. And that’s the opposite of the “if it’s meant to be, it’s up to me” mindset and lifestyle I grew up in.
He has a unique plan and bigger dreams for each of us that needs a different higher internal lens to discern. And being in the pursuit of happiness and following what culture defines as success doesn’t help. But having daily wisdom, joy, and peace does.
The book is one of my new year’s goals. We need a revolution of good change (that’s the new resolution) to be able to thrive in our exciting, new world emerging in today’s happiness.
And in your new year pursuits and heart’s desires, maybe you decide to rewrite your pursuit of happiness goals and align them to the written stars for you and who you’re becoming. 🌟
OH, OH, OH… and Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! 🎄
Healthy Christmas chocolate peppermint heart cookie inspiration made from warm ginger spices and coconut oil (used for better heart-healthy cholesterol than butter).Reminder of my past hotel catering life. Hotels always get decked out with Christmas trees and holiday poinsettia plants.
1⁄4teaspoon ground cloves(or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that's what you have on hand)
6tbspunsalted butter (or substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3/4cupdark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1large egg
1/2cupmolasses
1/4cupoats
Instructions
In a large bowl, add dry and wet ingredients.
Melt coconut oil add to bowl.
Roll out cookie dough to about 1/8" to 1/4" cookies.
Bake on 350°F for about 10-12 minutes.
I share the traditional old-fashioned recipe (below) that I’ve been using FOR-ever and that I spiced up even more this year! XOXO
Every year is a ‘lil different, and as a creator, I like to challenge myself to make new creations and not stick with the same cookie cutter ones over and over again… haha. As a healthy recipe developer, that means evolving into even healthier bakes.
And this helps me so that I keep outta Kapha imbalances in the kitchen. Btw, the level of Kapha dosha is relative to each of our bodies, but eating healthy, balanced meals always helps to prevent trouble down the road…
Which is part of the natural order that this life is… it’s not a matter of if… it’s a matter of when. And you can stay on the healthy side starting with body-mind awareness.
One of the symptom intersections is your feelings that constantly shift. They help guide you, and other times steer you down a rabbit hole.
And if you want to stay feeling peaceful, joyful, and happy (and be productive) all the time (…like when I’m relaxed baking healthy gingerbread cookies), then keeping the Kapha mind balanced is important.
Some examples of what will make the difference are your steadfastness to boundaries. And your commitment to yourself and to others involved. And finally, plowing through and making it easy on yourself in everyday situations that come up.
And that all starts in the mind.
So… when negative thoughts enter, dismiss them by replacing them.
The problem for many people is they don’t even know when they’re getting pulled down by negative information and thoughts…well, because that’s their mind.
And we don’t naturally challenge our own thoughts. That’s not something we’re born knowing how to do.
What most of do learn is how to challenge other people’s thoughts and opinions. Sound familiar?
Especially this time of year when it’s easy for stress to settle in trying to get end-of-year goals accomplished and fit into holiday-hoopla 🎉 that can be overwhelming for the mind-body. And not always bring out the best in us.
Our mind-body is connected in such a way that if you have a Kapha mind where you’re stuck in negative strongholds, feeling lazy, or find yourself accumulating clutter, that can easily turn into a couch potato Kapha body imbalance.
One easier way to know if a Kapha imbalance is causing our negative moods is if we’re feeling depressed or withdrawing from certain activities we’re usually drawn to or have been in the past.
And as we know, the ego tries to fool us, so to outwit we have to be doubly smart, pausing before reacting and making wise choices that influence our day.
Those stubborn Kapha mind mood tendencies can linger. But if you know what to do, you can get out of excessive Kapha faster and into feeling good. And erase hovering dark clouds that can easily become your weekend. Or gradually settle in for a season if you’re not careful.
But we can change this pretty easily one choice at a time…
We can turn off the external negative messages and listen to more uplifting ones. And that includes shutting off the news after getting the accumulated hour-or-so daily scoop.
This subtle shift helps for subtle situations…
For example, you could be having a bad morning where everything seems to go wrong and deciding in your mind that it’s going to be a bad day since the start was rough.
But by allowing uplifting thoughts to enter in to influence the rest of your day or lean into gratitude for what you DO have, that will help brighten your perspective that becomes self-fulfilling.
I know that can sound pollyanna-ish, and is not always easy if you’re in a miserable situation like a job you hate, or a living situation or relationship that isn’t working out.
BUT, you can better program your mind to work for you. If we can walk and chew gum and think thoughts at the same time, then we can do this! We are capable.💪
One way we can help ourselves is having a consistent activity where we’re learning and improving. That takes the focus off of our thoughts. You may already do this.
In the activity that calls you, you don’t want to miss a moment in what you’re doing. This improves your skills and helps your head game. You then look forward to the activity in your day that helps your entire day.
And something else you can easily do…
Change your environment. Maybe you start doing your activity in a warm, sunny spot. That can be outside. These days, there are no limits to where you can work or catch a break as we’re a virtually remote society that can access anything anywhere.
As a Vata, I like to mix up where I work. I use a desk, a closet, outdoors… it just depends on my mood. And that’s how I get things done productively: I change my scenery options.
And maybe that’s you… or you like the same zone you always are in as that’s your designated spot. And if that’s you, then maybe having a photo or a reminder of something to look forward to in the future like some R&R or an adventurous trip, will also help.
And if holiday overwhelm is taking over these days, let the reason for the season keep you grounded. Let Scripture verses provide comfort and wisdom, and help guide you.
And stay cozy warm uplifted and listen to cheery Christmas music 🎼and jingles… and better yet find your creative outlet. Get into your groove.
For me, this last weekend was partially about creating healthy gingerbread cookie dough.
And a Chai Oat healthy gingerbread cookie was on tall order to provide more holiday baking inspiration that’s both healthy and happy.
I wasn’t the only one as the Cookie Wars marathon was all over the media networks. And gingerbread was one of the themes like every year… it’s nice to be able to count on some things!
And I’ve been using the same base recipe that’s more happy than healthy.
This original recipe has been with me since 2004 when I printed it out. It was adapted from a Joy of Cooking recipe.
And I’ve been tweaking it up every year.
And backing up, decades ago, it was common to use shortening for cookies and Southern sweets, so finding a butter recipe with 3 grams of fat per cookie was a big deal because that’s what people cared about (the fat in calories). These days, we know there are healthier fats we can use to bake with…
So, I’ve evolved this once-a-year December recipe using coconut oil to give a nice consistency and dough to work with.
Planting a healthy gingerbread tree
Ahh… an early winter healthy gingerbread cookie tree!
I added my notes in ( ) and below to my enhancements to this collaborative recipe. 😊
Easy Chai Gingerbread Cookies
3 cups all-purpose flour (add oats)
1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
3⁄4 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 3⁄4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup oats (optional)
1⁄4 teaspoon ground cloves (or 1/2 tsp of allspice if that’s what you have on hand)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (substitute with 1 TBSP coconut oil)
3⁄4 cup dark brown sugar (reduce to 1/3 cup for less sugar and still have a delicious and nice cookie!)
1 large egg
1⁄2 cup molasses
You can mix this all in one bowl. I like to bake on 325°F because cookies bake quickly. This’ll be about 15 minutes but it’s good to watch the oven.
Dyshidrotic eczema is often tied to allergies whether outdoor or food-related is individual to each body.
Pair a turmeric tofu scramble (recipe below) for anti-inflammatory eating and moisturizing watermelon drink.
The outward showing and what makes it different from other types of eczema is that it often appears as clear blisters on hands and soles of feet (…an odd place). So it’s a little easier to spot.
A dyshidrotic eczema reaction is individual and it’s an overreaction in the body, as are other types of eczema.
Adding cod fish to your diet with Vitamin-D helps dyshidrotic eczema.
Dyshidrotic eczema can spread but not because of your spreading it in a contagious way. It can feel that way. But, if it does spread on its own, it’s an internal body reaction. So you can cross that worry off your list.
Like most eczema types, it has dry and irritated skin as general symptoms.
Irritation in the mind and body and in the mind-body connection is a form of high Pitta.
Knowing this helps because then you can focus on doing anti-Pitta moves like an anti-Pitta diet.
I learned this in the summer of 2021 when I ended up in the hospital emergency room for a dyshidrotic eczema diagnosis.
I had a heat blister that quickly turned into a foot infection a week later where my foot swelled to greenish, purple colors. Not the Northern Lights aurora borealis effect you want on your body. 😕
During my visit, the doctor confirmed my dyshidrotic eczema symptoms… and what I already knew and had researched on my own in 2020 when I first experienced the condition.
Dyshidrotic eczema that I’ve learned to partner with is still a sign of inflammation. And while acute, it’s not that cute ☺️. And the symptoms can be preventable.
Climate Changes As a Dyshidrotic Eczema Cause
With sensitive and thirsty summer skin that many of us have felt, the fiery and itchy summer effects of global warming are only intensifying.
Our bodies rely on this livable earth. But in perspective, 10 degrees hotter is still doable compared to the 800-degree temps on Mercury. 🌎
Mother Earth is the Queen. 👑
And besides heat, dyshidrotic eczema flare-ups can come from hypersensitivity to climate changes and climbing hotter weather.
This requires deeper skin care and moisturizing as preventative measures for dry skin. While heat and climate change can be one eczema cause, there are many eczema types and triggers.
Some other triggers can be food or other allergies.
Today in fall, it’s cooler and gratefully we did see an in-between this year with some colorful fiery leaves 🍁
Low-Sugar Planning Helps Eczema
Anything at any time like air, can make the dyshidrotic eczema situation worse no matter the cause. And being smart, not eating too much sugar is one area that is controllable for any of us.
It’s smart to start at breakfast so you haven’t spent all your sugar early in the day. Eating more plant-based and organic foods help offset undesired triggers and effects.
Offsetting sugar at every meal is a good strategy to avoid the skin crawling effect, if you’ve ever experienced that feeling. It’s going to make your life easier.
I know how hard that can be if you’re a sweet tooth because I thought that would be impossible for me to give up some sugar. But that’s how you lower sugar cravings. And I know it is possible to do as I’m living proof! 🧡
Funny I love baking, right? 👩🍳
But actually, you can better control how much sugar and sweetness is added when you do your own baking, cooking, and meal prep.
And you can do your own creations in your home in a healthy way where you don’t give up the love of sugar. Moderation and substitution are your friends.
I found most recipes out there call for so much sugar (that once upon a time I wouldn’t have blinked an eye too 😜). But when you make your own dishes and bakes, you’re more selective and cautious.
And what I learned was that I craved sugar less after eating less sugar. So that became my way.
And I focused on the positives. In my world, it’s about diverse eating from the rainbow 🌈 with food varieties that are doing the body good. The rainbow are rich polyphenols that help our guts.
That btw, is one good reason you would consider eating a variety of healthy foods.
And in that way, I ruled out that any one food was a likely cause for dyshidrotic eczema. Sugar I could see was an overall offender, but all sugars aren’t created equal.
Fruits are a good example. Fruits have sugar (fructose) but they have so much fiber and vitamin benefits that offset the negative. You wouldn’t want to cut fruit out, but have them in moderation.
You could also choose lower sugar ones like berries and even better, an avocado fruit. 🥑 Or a green banana that will lower glycemic so better for the anti-inflammatory effects.
Food Allergies, Ayurveda, and Eczema
I’m sensitive to other people’s food allergies having worked closely in catering foods and party planning management for a decade. Many of us have food sensitivities that’s on a spectrum of allergies, and different than Celiac Disease (that’s a disease).
Finding our happy gut is something that each of us get to explore and keep learning about as our bodies change.
Food balancing our preferences and food sensitivities is the best tip I can give to avoid tipping the scales for inflammation, dyshidrotic eczema, and other types of eczema… PLUS still enjoy foods.
Part of that is not giving up on any one healthy food unless they’re a known offender. Using moderation or balance as a guide is much more satisfying and doable.
When you operate with restoring balance year-round as a goal, then you notice when something is “off” even if it’s just ever-so-slightly so you can remedy before it’s too late or the scales have tipped to symptoms.
Something as simple as the scents and aromas you’re drawn to is an Ayurvedic clue as to what’s going on. Testing spice and food aromas are a couple of fun Ayurvedic ways we can all use to test our bodies this season.
Coupled with an Ayurvedic balanced food approach, adding more sustainable anti-inflammatory foods and less gluten-foods help prevent dyshidrotic eczema.
And to help offset this, leaning more into a whole, plant-based diet that’s Ayurvedic and anti-inflammatory gives us all an edge, as we do good for our body AND for the planet.
Some anti-inflammatory foods are high in cobalt and nickel that’s found all over the earth and in some of the healthiest plant-based foods such as cocoa, nuts, and even leafy greens.
Dark chocolate is anti-inflammatory and can be good to go back to in moderation after eczema inflammation symptoms go away.
So what’s the best plan? Still eating a variety of planet healthy foods is still the best bet unless you have a known allergy.
It’s also good to stay thankful for our bodies for doing all that it does every day of the year under the hood.
Fall apple bundt cake is a dessert you can enjoy year-round that’s made gut healthy with ACV that is what inspired this cake.
I hope you fall in love with this cake (like I did) and enjoy the recipe that you can share with others!… even if you don’t share the cake with those around you. 🥮
If there’s something we can count on in this world, it’s a good apple that hasn’t changed since I was young. They fall from the apple trees.
And “A” is for apple or autumn and is a great start to fall Anti-inflammatory healthy breakfasts.
Adding apples to your diet is one powerful way…the apple skin is full of prebiotic fiber that’s good to eat if you choose organic apples that are not chemical pesticide-sprayed. 🍎🍏
The apple insides are loaded with various healthy compounds like pectin, quercetin, anthocyanins, epicatechin, and flavanols so they’re an anti-inflammatory super food, and are included in this 200 anti-inflammatory food list.
Mixing up green and red apples give slightly different polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory good for the body.
Apples are also a good alternate cleaning “toothbrush” to have with you when you don’t have your tube and brush on you.
Growing up, Red Delicious apples were the ones I knew. And of those, some were softer or had soft bruised spots.
And it was my job at the grocery store to pick out and bag the firm ones. I felt special being the Apple Whisperer in my family. 😊
These days, Gala apples are pretty common too and Pink Ladys, which used to be less common.
You can’t go wrong. All apples have Vitamin C antioxidant goodness to help protect against free radicals in the cells. And we can never be too young or protective against cancer cells from growing.
An since this apple cake has added apple cider vinegar, it’s a very healthy cake.
That’s usually an oxymoron.
But this cake IS healthy and can be part of the way you start your day at breakfast… while being deliciously tasty too!
You can look forward to pairing apple cake with a fall pumpkin coffee if that’s your jam ☕️🎃
Pumpkin latte anyone? 🧋
You can also substitute apples with pears that has a similar crunch and sweetness to apples.
They are part of the same Pome fruit family that apples come from with a core and small seeds.
Fall apple bundt made of apple flavors, coconut oil, and lemon juices. Recipe is below. ⬇️
Easy Fall Apple Bundt with Coconut Oil
These recipe steps will fill about half a bundt pan ring like the one shown here. National Bundt Cake Day is November 15 and that’s actually a good time to bring out this autumn dessert all will fall in love with! 😍
If you want a full bundt pan (and not just a ring), then double the batter size so it fills up closer to the top.
-3 cups all-purpose flour or a combination of your favorite flours (whole wheat, buttermilk, or gluten-free flour)
-Cinnamon
-Kosher Salt
-1 cup liquid (you may not need all the liquid and then you can make a beverage drink, like I did).
You can use apple juice, apple cider, or lemon juice, and apple cider vinegar for an acidic taste boost…
¾ cup applesauce
¾ cup coconut oil (you can melt in a bain marie, and you can use less for less fat in the cake).
Bain marie: put solid coconut oil into a smaller bowl and place inside a larger bowl and then pour hot water into the larger bowl. This works well with mugs and ceramic bowls (that can handle heat like microwaveable bowls)..
3 large eggs, room temperature
Use coconut oil to prepare and coat the bundt pan and then coat with flour (or cocoa powder) and tap out the excess, so the bundt cake comes out more easily. Alternatively you can use other oils.
Add apple juice liquid (about half to start) to the wet ingredients (applesauce/eggs). Then blend in the wet to dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon and any spices, and salt).
Mix with a spoon. It will be a soft, moist (but not liquid-y) batter. That’s why I would use a spoon and not a whisk for easy cleaning without clinging batter.
And then gently mix in leavening agents (1-1/2 tsp baking powder plus ½ tsp baking soda).
Spread in a bundt pan. I use an offset spatula to even out. You can also use a knife and/or tap down the bundt pan on a table for leveling the batter.
Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.
Voila! Baked.
You’re looking at the bottom of the cake in the bundt pan. And you’ll know it’s finished when you can pull out a clean toothpick tester.
After the bundt pan cools for about 10-15 minutes, then remove it from the pan.
You don’t want to remove it while it’s piping hot warm, or else the apple cake can easily break.
After the cake is out of the bundt pan and is fully cooled (you can refrigerate covering it with the bundt pan so it doesn’t dry out).
Then cooled, you can glaze. You can lean into the coconut flavors and melt chocolate coconut oil in a bain marie until you get the right consistency. For a thicker glaze, use more chocolate to coconut oil ratio. It’s your creative bundt!
3cupsall-purpose flour or a combination of your favorite flours (whole wheat, buttermilk, or gluten-free flour)
cinnamon to taste and pinch of salt
1cupapple juice or apple cider (and combo with apple cider vinegar with total 1 cup liquid)
3/4cupapplesauce
3largeeggs
3/4cupcoconut oil
1-1/2tspbaking powder
1/2tspbaking soda
pinch of salt (kosher salt suggested)
cardamom spice (optional)
Instructions
Combine wet and dry ingredients. Tip: mix with a spoon. It will be a soft, moist (but not liquid-y) batter. Also, mix coconut oil with apple sauce for easy moist mixing.
Tip: Prepare bundt pan with coconut oil and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking. Tip: use a tea infuser for even, light dusting.
Pour cake batter into cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes (or until a long toothpick comes out clean).
Tip: Take out cake after cooled (so it doesn't collapse or break on you).
