Paleo Hot Apple Crumble

Paleo Hot Apple Crumble

I am excited that it is officially Spring! Flowers, Easter, warmer weather, fresh leaves and blossoms on trees, sunshine, weddings, prom...basically as a photographer, my dream season!
But the other day I was craving a very Autumn-like recipe. Possibly, the reason for this is that it is still cold outside and I like to have warm desserts on cold days.
So I made a paleo version of hot apple crumble that my family can eat. Due to different health problems for everyone, paleo is the eating lifestyle we've chosen to follow. Whether you eat Paleo or not, I consider this recipe to be just as good if not more so than your regular apple crumble. Enjoy!

Paleo Hot Apple Crumble

Ingredients

• 1.5 cup almond flour (to make: grind sliced almonds in food processor)
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup coconut palm sugar plus 1 tbsp (for non paleo version use brown sugar)
• 1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
•  1 tbsp cold coconut oil (non paleo-use butter)
• 2 tbsp milk of choice
• 2 cups peeled, chopped apple (8oz)
• 2 tsp arrowroot ( or cornstarch)
• 3 tbsp pure maple syrup (or agave)                                       1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Stir together the first eight ingredients, mixing very well and mashing with a fork. Scoop 2/3 of the dough into a 4×7, oiled glass dish (or any small pan), and press down firmly. In a separate bowl, stir together the other ingredients. Layer them into the pan, then top with the rest of the dough from the first pan and press down a bit. Bake for 40 minutes at 350 F, then cool at least 30 minutes before serving. 

I thought I would include some pictures from last year, during the apple season, since they kind of go with my theme here. Below is my sister, Nan and my niece, Ela picking apples.

For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies;
For the love which from our birth,
Over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

For the wonder of each hour,
Of the day and of the night;
Hill and vale and tree and flow'r,
Sun and moon, and stars of light;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This, our hymn of grateful praise.

A Good Start

The new year has taken off fast for me. Already well into February, there have been some changes, some ups and some downs but overall there have been plenty of good times, good times worth writing about.

To name just a few...

We (Mom, my sister Nan and I) went to visit my sister, Lauren and her husband Jered where they live in Georgia. Not to mention my two adorable little nieces, Ela and Piper to whom they belong. We stayed a week and hung out at the house, at the park and at Jered's office. I brought my school along and did as much as I could while at the same time playing with a hyper two year old!

During that week we hiked Allatoona Pass, a favorite place to go with the family and be surrounded by nature and history. I've included some pictures of it below. 

The Battle of Allatoona Pass, was fought 

October 5, 1864, in Bartow County, Georgia. 

This is what it looked like at that time

 compared to how it looks now.

This month our sew & so club met again and we made these: fabric flowers! The process is pretty neat, we cut out our flower shapes then burn the edges, holding them over the flame of a candle.

Though Jack(on the far left) is not apart of the club we let him be apart of the picture :)

Art classes have started with my sister Claire! 

In this picture, we are doing a little exercise where we look at the object we are drawing without looking down at our paper. You can see how bad I am at that.

We had a great time!

No, this is not one my artworks actually but my one and only Valentine from Ian! Ian is a seven year old I watch with my sister Nan on Thursdays.

It's supposed to be me holding a flower in one hand, a machete in the other.

Breakfast in bed on my Birthday! 

The 15th of February, my birthday, Nan and mom had to do some more shopping and I had a make-up lesson with my piano teacher, Mrs. Cox. So they dropped me off at piano and Gabe picked me up. There were ballons, presents and a big card in his truck waiting for me. It was a great surprise! He took me to Whole Foods and we got a couple green smoothies (he was willing to try one!) then we walked around the bog gardens until it was time to go home. Upon arriving home I found my grandparents there and my sister Mary and her fiance Andrew! We had a good night of just family :)

The awkward process of singing happy birthday

Also, another exciting and long awaited moment of this month is Nan having just gotten her braces off!!!

She looks beautiful and so old!

Lastly, I've been working on these cards of my photography. I'm selling them online to raise money for a mission trip I will be taking in June to Jamaica!

If you're interested in buying some visit my shop online!

Click Here

or type in URL

www.dontpaintthepeas.etsy.com

God has blessed me tremendously, I am looking forward to this year and each day he brings my way!

Aylen & Moose Hunting

 Aylen Lake, Canada is where I have been the past seventeen summers. Here rural beauty gleams it's best and man is surrounded by complete nature. Quite a little distance away from the nearest town, Aylen is a place I consider remote and peaceful, mesmerizing and full of adventure. My sisters and I, over the years, have enjoyed swimming around the dock, fishing, canoeing, water skiing, tubing, snorkeling, driving our little boat to sandy beaches nearby, jumping from rocks and cliffs, hiking, exploring, digging for treasure left from the 20's from old logger camps, campfires, parties, listening to legends and old stories told by those who've been there since the forties, participating in regattas, kayaking, knee boarding, and much more. 

We have stayed in an old, little cottage, near the shoreline, our family of seven. I have the greatest memories from these summers here and we have shared so much fun with neighbors and family alike. But my favorite thing is when we walk the little path, every Sunday morning, about half a mile to a wooden shelter up on a hill overlooking the lake below. Here is a chapel where anyone on the lake is welcomed to worship, fellowship and hear a sermon. I love singing old hymns, people harmonize and our voices echo out over the waters. Hymns I rarely hear or sing at home. This is the place I have learned them all. 

My family and I have two dear friends up at the lake, Leslie and Dave. Leslie is very much the adventurous type. Leslie, my mom and sister, Nan, enjoy exploring through the bush and around rivers, mines, and the deep woods. Leslie and I both share a love for taking pictures. She asked me last summer if I would care to join her on a moose hunt so we could try to get some pictures of any moose we came across. I woke one morning at half past four and got my things together. Leslie picked me up in her car and while it was still dark we headed off on our search. This is the best time for spotting moose, when the sun is just rising and there is midst still on the ground. A perfect time for picture taking too. But the truth is we stopped so many times to take pictures of all the beautiful scenery that we didn't do a very good job of looking for a moose. Yet we had a blast and I did get a picture of a beaver.

 After driving around for a few hours we turned around to go back to the lake. On our way, we stopped by a cute little grill and sat at a table for two against a window that overlooked a creek below. The sun shone brightly through the floral curtains, and we talked and talked. It's been a while since then but I just came across the photos I had taken from this trip. These are not of Aylen but of Algonquin Park, a beautiful place to be when the sun is rising.

 

I had to take a picture of it's take-off!