Fall Apple Bundt Cake + Prebiotic Apple Vata Breakfast

Fall Apple Bundt Cake Recipe 🍎 below.

Fall apple bundt is actually a dessert we can enjoy year-round that’s good for you (and I hop you enjoy the recipe!).

If there’s something we can count on in this world, it’s a good apple that hasn’t changed since I was young. “A” is for apple and is a great start to fall breakfasts.

Many people liked my Fall Apple Bundt dessert idea, so I’ll share how I made it below. It’s a loose recipe you can tweak up if you want to (and even substitute with in-season pears).

Since National Apple Day just passed, I thought it a good idea to celebrate the apple.

It’s a great snack to take on your hikes. And is even a good alternate cleaning “toothbrush” from the natural fibers and acidity to have with you when you don’t have your tube and brush on you.

Apples are loaded with pectin, quercetin, anthocyanins, epicatechin, and flavanols so they’re an anti-inflammatory super food in the grocery store, your kitchen, and included in this 200 anti-inflammatory food list.

Starting your day with prebiotic apple cinnamon oatmeal breakfast and banana helps to wake up your gut…

You feed the good bacteria. And if you’re a Vata, and it’s fall-like weather, like now, eating this warm is much more satisfying than overnight oats stored in the fridge.

Eating something sweet is a must. 😁 Vatas don’t generally prefer green teas. We lean into the black and hot cinnamon teas. And if you’re a coffee drinker too, you like to spice it up with variety.

A dash of cocoa, vanilla, cinnamon, or coconut is great! And I’m finally getting into the pumpkin of fall… how about you? ☕️🎃

Apples are an anti-inflammatory staple year-round to celebrate, and there’s an abundance as they fall from local trees (and overseas).

So fall is apple picking season. 🍎

You can find the type of apple that satisfies your bite. If you want a soft apple, you can find a Red Delicious (or delicious red apple!).

How ’bout them apples!?

And if you like a crunch, a Fuji apple can satisfy 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 rare.

…They are appropriate to bring up as it’s Pink Ribbon Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

And you can make healthy apple desserts with any apples and not just in a fall apple bundt. Another idea is to make an apple oats pie.

Oats are prebiotic foods. And one you can do easily and on your own is to make easy homemade oat flour with your blender.

And they make a good GF flour option for those who are just slightly gluten sensitive (or just want to mix it up). All flours are not taste worthy for sweet bakes, but oats work.

And then with oat flour, the healthy baking pie idea is to make your own oat flour crust instead of a butter pastry or graham cracker-crust shell. For the “glue” you can use an egg or coconut oil. And then while you have ingredients out you can make this fall apple bundt…

Easy Fall Apple Bundt with Coconut Oil

These recipe steps will fill about half a bundt pan ring like the one shown here. If you want a full bundt pan, then double the batter size so it fills much 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, lemon juice, or a combination of (or apple cider vinegar for a tart taste that’s popular… I’m sure you’ve heard of apple cider donuts 🍩 …and plus I use ACV as gut-medicine 😉).

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.

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.

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 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 it 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 thicker, use more chocolate to coconut oil ratio. It’s your creative bundt!

And if you prefer pears, they would work as well as they’re in season too! They are part of the same Pome fruit family that apples come from with a core and small seeds. They look tough with a skin exterior but can bruise easily like their cousins (and us apples and pears! 😉).

Print Recipe

Easy Fall Apple Bundt Cake

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour or a combination of your favorite flours (whole wheat, buttermilk, or gluten-free flour)
cinnamon to taste and pinch of salt
1 cup apple juice or apple cider (and combo with apple cider vinegar with total 1 cup liquid)
3/4 cup applesauce
3 large eggs
3/4 cup coconut oil
1-1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking 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.
Prepare bundt pan with coconut oil and lightly dust with flour to prevent sticking. Tip: use a tea infuser for even dusting.
Pour cake batter into cake pan.
Bake at 350°F for 45-50 minutes (or until a long toothpick comes out clean).
Take out cake after cooled (so it doesn't collapse on you).

Notes

Breakfast Ideas: Porridge + Healthy Chocolate-Coconut Bars (Inspired by Samoa Cookies)

Samoa inspired breakfast bars.

The easy, no-bake chewy Samoa bar recipe is below, and is made without any refined sugar. I’ll share how you can make a crunchy version too. 🍪

So let’s start here…

If you’re a cereal lover and want to find alternates, porridge could be that nourishing sub.

When I was a kid, we ate cereal for breakfast before we left for school. It was fortified vitamin and mineral goodness drenched in Vitamin D milk that young, fast-growing bones and bodies need. It’s also loaded with the sweet stuff that puts a smile on a kid’s face.

But, most cereals aren’t a good daily breakfast option.

The problem isn’t all the added sugar (even though they’re often loaded with 12 added grams per cup or more)… or knowing about the disturbing traces of Roundup that have been found in certain cereals (that’s a good enough reason!)…

But the real daily problem is…

Cereals are never filling enough for the most important meal of the day (or at least one of them). It doesn’t do the fulfillment job for kids or adults… and it didn’t do it for me as a growing child that felt the stomach gurgles by mid-morning.

This is the reality for most school kids that just plow through their hunger discomforts. So I remember bringing a snack to school. But then I forgot about it or was too busy to eat it. My mind was somewhere else as it wasn’t lunchtime when everyone else around me was eating.

Decades later, this hasn’t changed.

Cereal is still the popular go-to convenient breakfast. Cereal grocery shelves are filled or empty. And we still forget and get too busy.

So what’s a better way?

Porridge!

In America, porridge is a tougher sell. When I was growing up, enriched white Wonder Bread was the magical bread that kids felt proud of bringing to school and parents felt good about for lunch sandwiches.

Enriched bread today has a different context. It can be enriched with dairy, eggs, or sourdough. And “fortified” cereal is also different in its wonders.

But travel around the world, and wholesome porridge is what you find in many less modern-convenient cultures. And where people live longer.

These cultures and places go straight to filling stomachs with nourishment. They’re masters at adding nutritious flavors, often living with less.

And we can learn a healthy lesson from them. And we could start slow like choosing oats or whole grains as breakfast alternatives.

And then switch to a porridge meal with protein and good carbs that can carry through the busy morning. And does your body healthy goodness.

I thought this letter to you “from your gut” would be a cute way to highlight and get the point across. 😉

Dear Person I Live In,

Please don’t make me work extra hard today. And give me what I want: more rest, but also enough nourishing energy, so I don’t have to hunt around for help from the surrounding systems.

Thank you for a glass of water that signals to me that you’re up. Then for starters, a prebiotic and probiotic breakfast would be great!, like oatmeal, banana, yogurt, berries, and even a smoothie format is fine. This gets me going, before you really feed me…

You can mix it up or eat the same thing daily, but I do like some healthy variety. It keeps me from getting bored and helps me run best.

And yes I do rumble and signal to you when to go to the restroom, so I can rest.

Please remember (…write yourself a note maybe? 😁) …fill me with small nutrient-dense meals every 4-5 hours so I have the time to churn the last meal and can consistently count on being fed. Then please give me energy again… plant-based carbs would be good… oh and btw, I’m not as color blind as you think I am ‘cause I do recognize when you eat from the rainbow (haha!). 🌈

And don’t wait too long to fill me with some healthy proteins that I love. Then, I don’t have to work so hard. You know how those old-timer people from the Blue Zones eat beans to add 4 years to their lives. And they only break out the celebratory meat once in a while.

Please consider my needs. And finally, I would love if you would provide more fiber and roughage, sprinkling in healthy fat, Omega-3 sources, and good probiotics as daily garnishes. And I love nuts and seeds as snacks. Now I’ll be quiet because you know the food language that keeps me happy.

We’re in this together.

Love,

Gutty

P.S. A ‘lil sea salt helps me balance, as does fruit and spices.

And, here’s the recipe I promised…

Print Recipe

No-Bake Samoa-Inspired Breakfast Bars

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1/2 cups oats
1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup almonds
3-4 pitted Medjool dates
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp applesauce
1 tbsp raw honey

Instructions

Mix ingredients and bake.

Easy 5-Minute, No-Bake Breakfast Bars (Inspired by Samoas)

For serving 2-3 people:

In a food processor, add and then blend:

½ cups oats

½ cup shredded unsweetened coconut

½ cup almonds

3-4 pitted Medjool dates

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

3 Tbsp applesauce

1 Tbsp raw honey

Instead, you can also do this with a food chopper. Just leave out combining the applesauce and honey until the very end, after the other ingredients are chopped and blended. Either way, here’s another tip: it’s easier if you tear up the dates into smaller pieces or cut with a serrated knife before you add to the processor or chopper.

Then, when you have your final mixture ready:

Put on a plate or in a small container and shape your mixture. This is the no-bake version. Cut the bars or cookie shapes you want to make using a pizza roller or sharper knife (so there’s no crumbly bits falling off that you can’t put back together).

Then drizzle your bars or cookies with a pre-made chocolate sauce. Or you can make your own: add chocolate and coconut oil to a bain-marie (double cooker) to heat and melt the chocolate. Adding the oil will give you a better liquid consistency and more chocolate sauce using less chocolate (especially if you’re low).

Afterwards, you can put your bars or cookies in the fridge or freezer to eat in a few minutes or save for later. They’re better cold. The ones in the photo above just came out of the freezer.

If you want to make them crunchy, use an egg instead of the applesauce, and then bake on a low temperature until you get the right baked crunch. Now that’s super calm baking.. oh, how easy!

And easy is my jam… I like helping others grow with what I know and discover through the easiest route …and I’d love to know what shortcut lessons could be most helpful to you. I don’t think it’s my cookie bar recipes, but if that’s it, I’d love to know that too 😉

Finally, just wanted to mention… these past couple of years have thrown us all curve balls from our usual lives… and maybe added some imbalance along the way. Next time, I’ll share some reframing ways to get more balance and calm.

Take care for now 🧡

Happy Holiday Entertainment Shows + Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Recipe

Healthy Carrot Cake — Gluten-free healthy carrot cake (recipe below)

Since Christmas day marks the week before year’s end and one week before New Year’s, it can be a bittersweet time filled with mixed emotions. Ahhh.. but light-hearted holiday entertainment shows and movies can help us lighten up if we feel stressed.

On that note, I have 3-holiday entertainment mentions below worth checking out …plus, a good, sweet without bad sugar dessert recipe you can health-consciously bake year-round in one bowl without a mixer. That can be exciting, and worth sticking around for until the end (of the blog article, of course, plus staying up past midnight on Dec. 31st).

…And somewhere in between is December 25, where we can easily forget that just a month ago, we celebrated Thanksgiving and gratitude for the things we have in our lives. In the happy holiday spirit, December and Christmas are opportunities to dig deep in our well, be reflective for the year, and find more appreciation for our happiness’ sake.

Christmas is always an eventful time to find hope and peace. And be happy and healthy. And that can include skipping, baking, and inspiring yoga moves! Why not?

I plan to be in the kitchen. And, here’s my illustrative yoga guide for those who will be busy holiday joy baking and wanting to unwind like a pretzel in front of the television (or holiday entertainment of choice) 😊:

If you celebrate, there’s a big buildup to Christmas that probably started way earlier in the year …remember Christmas in July promotions? This year is probably no different where you’re not hit by deer lights…

In the past, as the years rolled by, the Christmas time of year could grow to mean more to you as you grew, changed, and settled into your more mature wisdom.

You’ve mellowed out from younger years, have seen and done more, and maybe are even more comfortable in living with the mantra: no news is good news. I know I have.

If so, you’ve probably adopted contentment (or more than in the past) and that helps to smooth ripples, be happy daily, and satisfied with life as is.

…Things could be worse, and thankfully it’s not. So you then feel appreciative. And those (and your) beliefs can shape your optimism.

In life’s mysterious ways and combination of mind-body factors, the thought-life and moods can hang over like a heavy, gray cloud. And you can feel like your mind won’t allow you to feel gratitude and optimism. It can feel like an uphill battle to try and win over an internal fight. And letting go isn’t always so easy…

Is that just me?

I find that when I have a moment where I feel a little sorry for what’s not happening and just need a little comfort, laughter never gets old, as one of the best medicines.

Cleansing tears from humorous holiday entertainment or heart-felt movies, series, or shows can be just what the doctor ordered. And then after watching, I’m good as new. That’s this life, so we can feel.

And what we feel from recently watched holiday entertainment shows can show up refreshed in your thought life and moods the next day or week, so it’s better to pick ones with fun and happy lines or stories.

Here are 3 of my holiday entertainment picks (maybe they’re good for you also)… which btw, I’ve yet to meet a close friend who likes the same quirky shows as I do. I’m not talkin’ about Friends and the popular shows that everyone watches.

So I’m goin’ out on a limb here…

The first one I wanted to mention is actually not a show, but an old classic movie, The Sound of Music. (Ok, if you’re worried about the other two mentions I haven’t yet mentioned… don’t worry and maybe chill if that helps you… the other two are shows from this century, I promise 😅).

Anyway, TSOM movie in full color (but barely, like tea stains), has a hopeful message, so that’s why I’m bringing it up now and to this modern era.

If you’ve never seen or forgotten what this movie is about, it starts out with actress Julie Andrews as a young lady in an abbey prepping to be a nun, but soon discovers she’s not cut out for the job.

Sound a ‘lil familiar? I know it does for me having taken a hairpin turn or two early on. None of the nunnery kind though.

But, the movie plot is a metaphor for our lives that can change in an instant and that a better plan can be out there for us if we’re willing to stay open and hang in there. It can help us get through the holidays (and if you have kids this could be a good PG film to watch together as they learn good-meaning songs).

So, Julie Andrews’ character is sent to be a governess for 7 children for a former Captain and Austrian naval officer, who’s widowed.

She brings singing and love into the family and the odd-pairing couple ends up marrying (aww… a love story and musical). The Captain makes a choice to refuse the appointed work he’s been assigned to under the Nazi German regime during World War 2.

It’s a happy ending as the family sings their way to freedom and new life, leaving the beautiful home and country they once lived in and loved. So now you’re either caught up or possibly curious to watch the movie (again).

The movie is filmed in Austria and Los Angeles of all places, so maybe that’s one of the reasons why it’s still a Hollywood boom.

Timeless movies are good reminders to stay hopeful for our future as we get through tough times like we always have in history.

There’s a lot to look forward to getting to the other side, crossing the hills and any mountains along our path, stopping to appreciate the flowers like Edelweiss (a song from the movie) that remind us of our resilience. The journey is where the good stuff is if we choose to look at it that way.

So whether you fast-forward to the part where your heart is filled or watch the movie, afterward you can pause to fill your warm drinking mug (with coffee?) and get ready to laugh (…maybe even belly laugh some) with this next recommend…

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee

This show with several seasons is a good metaphor for not taking life too seriously. Stand-up comedians don’t as you probably know, or come to know from the episodes.

And Jerry Seinfeld makes that clear as he takes his guests out for coffee in dining venues (think diners and mostly hole in the walls) with different classic, but funny cars (to match the comedians and their barrel of laughs) 🐒. And once in a while, they’re in an Oh sorry, Ferrari that dies on the road. Funny drama.

The show is peppered with what you’d expect from comedians –impromptu funny lines about their lives and the world we live in.

Having worked in restaurants, I can find a chuckle or two with the (literally) off-the-wall menu special posters or off-color restaurant jokes, like when Jerry orders and asks for 2 eggs and nothing else on a plate, and the server quickly asks if he wants it on the side? The server (or former 80s waitress) made an inside funny without knowing it. Good stuff there. 😅

You’ll have to find your own humor points if you end up watching any of the episodes. …and so that brings me to a recent holiday entertainment show…

The Great British Baking Show

The Great British Baking Show has got to be the funniest baking show out there. It’s also interesting to watch the baker techniques and their foibles.

By now in the show’s just-finishing up 9^th season, as you’d expect, the contestants know what to expect. If they didn’t, that would be like going on the pressure cooker show without baking practice.

.. And that would be like going on the Shark Tank show and not rehearsing… where they’d get eaten alive!

The GBBO contestants (more fitting than calling them competitors because they help each other out in the tent)… want to be sure to make the show fun and take time out to make good bakes while playing along with the tent show elves and laughing at their side jokes.

Tent Sidekick Noel announcing the challenge 😄

As part of the audience, you can feel the contestants are more mellow, less tense and serious about winning, and more motivated with staying baking in the tent for as long as they can. Even though you know their anxious-panicky Vatas are all hidden or ready to jump out and rule over them! The stress from the brave contestants lets you relax for a few viewing minutes.

In case you missed this last season, the latest cherry-on-top Star Baker title went to Giuseppe for his traditional Italian bakes passed down from his family’s baking lineage. So now you’re all caught up.

The Great British Baking Show also has holiday versions. You can especially enjoy it if you like holiday baking inspiration, and while eating sweets…

And on that note, I have a deliciously, seriously healthy, SWEET gluten-free carrot cake recipe below (that I’ve played around with the ingredients… and confidently whipped up, and tested including all the delicious crumbs!)… and that you can just as easily prepare and enjoy in a square, round or any shape pan you like that you can bring to your screen with whatever holiday entertainment shows you end up watching. 🧡

Healthy (Easy-No Mixer Needed) Gluten-Free Carrot Cake (Bread or Squares)

gluten-free carrot cake

Ingredients:

1 cup grated carrots

2 eggs (room temperature)

1 Tbsp coconut oil (or light EVOO or baking oil)

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

2 tsp lemon juice

1/2 cup almond flour (or other gluten-free flour)

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts and raisins combined

Orange zest from a medium-size orange (or add maple syrup to taste, 1-2 tsp suggested for low sugar)

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch of salt

You can mix all ingredients in one bowl. Add dry ingredients first, then add the liquids (that way you can use some of the same measuring spoons and cups without the dry sticking to the wet.

Pour into an 8″ round pan or 4″ x 8″ baking pan.

Bake at 325°F for 35-40 minutes.

After cooled, frost with Greek Yogurt (2% fat or reduced fat suggested) and healthily enjoy, or you can blend with a low-fat cheese (like neufchatel cream cheese or ricotta cheese) if you prefer or will be serving to others who don’t prefer full-on healthy 😉… but would love to try what you sweetly bake. 🍞

To Your Merry Happy Holidays! 🎄

10 Moisturize Tips + Moist, Chocolate-Banana Cake Bread Recipe

Moisturize if your skin is dry may be what’s needed for you in these climate change times. And if you’re experiencing eczema and other dry signs.

And you’ve come to the right place for moisturize tips plus a moist healthy chocolate banana bread recipe you’ll love below!

With global warming on the rise, the outdoor dry air is becoming drier, and this plays extra havoc on our bodies. In awareness, you can proactively moisturize (more), make healthy changes (10 tips below to check off), and not be blind-sided by your body needs to naturally adjust.

…if you feel like you’re drinking water like a camel and keep moisturizing like it’s already winter (and you’re still dry), then you’re headed on the right path.

I also have a healthier coconut oil and low-sugar chocolate cocoa-banana bread recipe below inspired by a story from my childhood sweet (as in baked-goods) memories…

One day, my mom gave me a banana bread loaf to take to my first grade class. I can’t remember what the occasion was…

I remember food sensitivities didn’t exist much back then, and a classmate once brought in baklava with nuts, and we all tried it, even though that’s an adult dessert (not so popular with first graders).

My other classmates also sometimes brought in more popular cake-type bakes and I think that’s where the recent past cupcake craze resurfaced again (as that was a thing back then for good ‘ol fashioned memories).

The banana bread I took to school was a one-time occurrence and definitely more in the adult taste category. But my teacher loved it (or maybe she just loved me 😊) …Or both as she asked me for the recipe.

So…that same day, I asked my mom to write down the recipe. English is not her first language and I’ve never seen a single written recipe she wrote (or even a cookbook she used), despite a different home cooked dinner she prepared almost every night.

Well… the next day, apparently my schoolteacher had tried baking the bread from the recipe I handed her because I recall she mentioned she thought there must be a missing ingredient, as hers didn’t turn out the way my mom’s had.

I never asked my mom to write another recipe as the opportunity never came up again. But I think that memory from my formative years developed my skill and gradual interest in drumming up new recipes with old inspirations and deleting/replacing ingredients with healthier ones we have available now. Thank you, mom! And for passing on the passionate cooking genes. In her golden years, she still loves cooking (bless her heart).

And for your life, if you still think you can’t cook or bake, you never know what a decade can bring in your favor as your tastes change.

My easy (no-mixer needed) chocolate banana bread recipe below is with you in mind (at whatever baking level you’re currently at). Easy never goes out of style!

And, here are a few sweet bread-cake notes to get you excited (before I jump into the head-to-toe moisturize topic that this article is mostly about).

…The recipe is inspired by layering onto the classic banana bread recipes (that my mom went off of but didn’t have some of these better and healthier ingredients).

…The bread has a darker brown color (less banana bread beige blah!) that makes you want to dig in or give as a gift, and I think that’s why fruit cakes have candied fruits in them because they give a pop of color that walnut and other beige nut colors don’t.

…It’s also filled with less sugar and more healthy fat oil that helps us moisturize in fall/autumn.

On that note, I want to give you a running head-start to transition into self-care in the cooler seasons before you even change your home thermostats from cool to heat.

One of the first places to transition is testing the shower water temperatures you’re using based on outdoor temperatures and your body (balanced or imbalanced). This will feel different despite our universal 98°F/36°C human bodies.

You can start on cool and end on warm or start on warm and end on warm. That’s how knowing what your body imbalances are helps for you to restore them with the help of the shower.

So, one takeaway (or reminder) is don’t stick with the same shower temperature year-round.

Self-care and prioritizing our prized bodies above our stuff keeps us running optimally through the seasons. And just like you change out your clothes from summer to autumn and winter, you want to change your routines and habits for your changing body.

Our skin as our largest organ, acts as a barrier to our internal body organs we can’t see. We often take for granted when all is running smooth. Your skin is constantly changing and renewing and a great place to start.

With small changes, you might find that you want to change your previous habits.

10 Moisturize Self-Care Tips:

For Skin and SPECIFIC Body Parts

At the bare minimum you want to take care of the entry points on your body.

1) Eyes: Your eyes aren’t just the window to your soul, they are the gateway to how you see the world. And if you have dry eyes, that’s one fuzzy world!

(More tips and my irresistible Chocolate Banana Bread recipe below) ⬇️

Continue reading “10 Moisturize Tips + Moist, Chocolate-Banana Cake Bread Recipe”

How To Make Homemade Pizza For Lunch, Dinner (or Breakfast!)

Homemade pizza making is easy and fun, and can be a healthy meal (breakfast leftover, lunch, or dinner).

Making homemade pizza is easy and fun, and can be a healthy meal.

…For a yummy, tasty choice, what more can you ask for? You can make a healthy wheat, thin crust, thick crust, or airy crust like these…

homemade pizza with mushrooms. — Airy crust baked in an apartment oven reminiscent of restaurant wood-fired oven.

Plus, you can make your pizza from start to finish, faster than you can order a pizza and have it delivered.

And, who doesn’t love pizza?

It puts a smile on most faces.

And we all can use more happy LIVING in our practical lives 😊… so in that spirit, I’m gonna lean on my fun side today.

Fast, fresh, healthy, save money, fun to make… are you in?

If you are, then keep reading, and I’ll walk you through homemade pizza-making with healthy ingredients. 👇

First, you don’t need a kit. To make homemade pizza, you just need two simple ingredients you already have in your house (or can easily get) to make the dough. And 4 ingredients if you want a bigger crust rise and a little salt.

Homemade pizza needs no long prep time like pulling out ingredients in advance, like in other baking recipes. It also has an advantage over bread making: you don’t need to wait for hours for the dough to proof.

Making homemade pizza dough needs only a few minutes. You can simply prepare, bake, and enjoy in less than an hour.

If you’re not a planner this can be a winner. But then again, you’d probably buy store-bought or order delivery. …but then that would be no fun, and you wouldn’t get the healthy, homemade pizza. 🎉

So I’ll assume you’ll give it a try at least at some point.

Here’s how to make homemade pizza…

Before you do anything, there is one area to plan. You should consider what you’ll add on top of your pizza crust.

If you load with gobs of cheese, then you’ve added fat and dairy (…that isn’t always a bad thing as cheese has vitamins, calcium, other minerals, and satisfies cheesy craving…).

But this recipe is healthier so we’ll go with fresh or buffalo mozzarella cheese, like on a Margherita pizza. It’s one of the healthier (less greasy) cheeses.

Now you’re ready to start and pull out all your homemade pizza ingredients.

Instant yeast. I buy the small Red Star packets. The yeast balls look like microscope-tiny, perfectly round khaki brown color beads.

Water. 1 cup warm or room temperature tap water is fine. You may want to experiment as you know what they say about the famously delicious New York pizza crust (the rumor is that it comes from the water).

I’ve used seltzer and filtered water for pizza crust, and I find tap is still the best all-around.

Flour. You have options.

How to choose which flour to use:

If you use a mix of regular all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, then your dough will be less sticky. And if you use semolina flour for your bench flour, then that will help your dough from sticking to the metal pizza pan you use. Another reason to choose whole wheat flour is the slightly higher, healthy fiber content. There are also gluten-free options.

In total, use about 2-1/2 flour total, but you will need more when you’re working with the dough. You get better with practice and experience. You may be able to later eyeball how much you need.

…Can you tell, I’m not into measuring (more fun) unless it will be a disaster otherwise. In the beginning, measuring is always advised.

Salt. 2 teaspoon table salt. You can use a little more salt if you use sea salt or if you plan to use fresh mozzarella (or buffalo mozzarella) that doesn’t have as much salt as some other cheeses.

Optional: 1 tablespoon EVOO (helps with adding taste and less sticky dough)

Here are the 5 easy steps (broken down in detail):

Step 1: Make the pizza dough.

homemade wood-fired pizza with mushrooms recipe.

Homemade Pizza Made Fun and Easy (But Looks Like a Pro!)

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American, Italian

Ingredients

Flour of choice (bread flour, 00, and/or whole wheat, etc.)
instant yeast
salt
water
Optional: cheese, mushrooms, and toppings of choice.

Add the yeast to water and let it settle/dissolve for about 5-10 minutes. The mixture will have a milky color and consistency. Set aside.

Separately, add the flour or mixed flours of choice to your mixing bowl (I like half and half whole wheat and regular or all-purpose flour). Add 1 teaspoon salt or you can use 1-½ teaspoon sea salt (if you want to use non-iodized salt as I use). Then add EVOO if you’re using, and the water-yeast mixture.

Dough by hand method: You can make the dough by hand, and if you do it that way, I’d recommend creating a neat flour mountain on a shallow baking pan where the flour won’t stick to everything (like glitter) and cleanup is fast. Can you tell I was a Martha Stewart student? 😉

…Or if you prefer, just be yourself (always the best option!) and have fun with making a mess with flour all over your kitchen counter. You’ll get there all the same.

Then add a dip in the middle of the mountain where you would add the liquids, like you may have seen or done at home making pasta the old-fashioned way (except there are no eggs needed in pizza making).

Dough with machine (recommended): It’s easier to use a mixing machine with the dough hook, like the Kitchen Aid mixer (I have a pink Cadillac color one… Paris Hilton and I have something in common, lol).

With a machine, in a few quick minutes, the dough should be ready. You’ll know when it’s done when it’s not too dry, and not too wet, and has some good elasticity. Pizza dough is forgiving and is only part of the pizza pizzazz (say that 10 times).

Remember to scrape down the flour from the sides of the mixer. As you’re waiting for the dough to finish mixing, generously flour your pan. I recommend a mix of coarser semolina flour and regular all-purpose flour for the bench flour.

When it’s ready, pull the dough out of the bowl. You’ll be able to form a small ball with the dough, and you may need to add more regular flour on the outside if it’s too sticky. Form a dough ball and let it rest on the pan you’ve floured. Leave it sitting or resting at room temperature for 10 minutes.

Note, you don’t even need a plastic wrap or another container you’d have to clean like in bread making!

Step 2: Prep the toppings and the sauce.

While the dough is still resting, I get the topping ingredients ready.

I open the tomato sauce can (many restaurants use San Marzano tomatoes that I recommend), and I add finely chop anchovies with a serrated knife to the sauce as my secret ingredient (that’s not a secret anymore). It adds salt and another flavor dimension (or you can just add a teaspoon of salt to the sauce if you prefer a saltier-tasting pizza). Tomato sauce is usually too sweet, or at least I think so. I like my sweets, sweet, and my salt, salty. Not going to ask you to repeat that. 😊

If you are using fresh cheeses like buffalo mozzarella, slice the cheese into smaller bits. And if you use basil leaves, wet them a little like with a wet paper towel as they will settle a little better on the pizza. Alternatively, you can use spinach leaves like I use as healthy-alternative inspiration.

For any other wet ingredients like black olives, drain any excess liquid and dry them with a paper towel if you need to (as that would be a damper to your pizza… sorry, I couldn’t resist. Today is a fun day.).

By the time you finish this step, your pizza dough should be ready to work with.

A quick back story: I used to be a pizza maker (or pie maker as they referred to) as a teen, and for the busiest Domino’s Pizza not in the country, but in the world (yes the world! that is becoming smaller every day). So, I make the dough the way I learned from the modern pros! We used to crank out 300 or so pizzas in an hour as a team during the busy football nights, and during the 30-minute guarantee years (you probably don’t remember!). Our heads were down but it was fun energy in the shop! homemade pizza [OK back to the business of making your homemade pizza]…

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