April 8, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries & a brunch | dolly and oatmeal

we spent the better part of last week sitting my parents' dog at their house upstate. it was great spreading out, so to speak, and actually having room in our living space! amesy transitioned really well to sleeping in his little travel crib, and i've finally began putting him down for naps without rocking him to sleep first. this has been such a relief because babies falling asleep on their own doesn't come as easy than when they're teeny infants apparently - it's been a learning curve to say the least! there are so many things happening in his little world these days, so many developments and progressions. last week was all about his teeth, and now this week he's been eating solids for a whole a week and absolutely loves sweet potato and avocado (he is definitely my little guy). he's beginning to show curiosity in crawling and standing, and now i'm beginning to see how this whole baby thing passes by way too quickly. a month ago he was still and an infant, and now there's this huge emergence of a little personality. he voices when he doesn't like something, when he does, and when he's having the best time ever. my whole heart could explode at how amazing it is to witness it all each day.

that's not to say that trying to fit everything into a working day with a babe, doesn't have its challenges. it is THE challenge if anything. i have a lot more grey hairs, way more stress, and have morphed into the person who wears yoga pants and big comfy flannel shirts every day. but i'm ok with that ;) one huge constant in my life is the whole foods market that's a quick drive away and totally comes in clutch all the time! frank and i usually have some sort of super casual, buffet-style brunch thing for an easter/passover mashup. so this year i've teamed up with the whole foods market team to show you what i'm serving up from their menu, and how to make this super easy almond cake with kombucha macerated strawberries. i found that ordering online saved me that awkward phone call with a cooing (or screaming) baby in the background, but i'm sure it's just as convenient for anyone sans baby. it makes the whole process super fast and simple, and when i went to pick up my order, it was really convenient to snag the flowers for the table (i bought a big pot of pansies and transplanted them to smaller terracotta planters), and other groceries to make the cake and its topping. the cake is simple to make, and only uses a handful of ingredients, most of which are pantry staples. it's one of those back pocket recipes that comes in handy, all while being super nourishing as well. the berries are macerated a bit in kombucha and a little coconut sugar to give it that spring feel :)

happy brunching <3

this post was created in partnership with whole foods market. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you for supporting the sponsors that help keep dolly and oatmeal going!

a brunch menu

wild basmati rice w/ peas & pistachio

roasted fingerling potatoes w/ horseradish

carrots & parsnips w/ coriander honey

grilled asparagus

hard-boiled eggs & toast

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries

flourless almond cake w/ kombucha macerated berries | gf & df

you could use any fruit or berries you like here, just keep in mind the fruit's natural sweetness and adjust the sugar as necessary. as for the kombucha, i like a ginger variety (this gingerade is my go-to) as i find it gives the berries a subtle flavor, but you could use any flavor.

| makes a 9-inch cake |

4 large pasture-raised eggs, separated
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or regular sugar)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups almond flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

berries

1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup kombucha
1 tablespoon coconut sugar

method

preheat the oven to 350°F and oil a 8-inch round pan with coconut oil. set aside.
In a stand mixer, beat together the egg yolks, 1/4 cup of the sugar, the oil, and the almond and vanilla extract. in a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, arrowroot, baking powder and salt. then combine with the egg yolk mixture (batter will be very thick, that's ok), and set aside.
using a stand mixer or electric mixer, whip the the egg whites on medium-high until they get nice and fluffy. a little at a time, add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar until soft peaks form. a spoonful at a time, fold the egg whites into the batter. (the batter with start out thick and will become more and more airy as the whites are incorporated.)
spoon batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cake pulls from the sides a bit.
place cake on a rack and let cool completely.
while the cake is cooling, make your berries. place the berries in a bowl, stir in the kombucha, and sugar. stir the berries occasionally for about 30 minutes.
top the cake with macerated strawberries, and a sprinkle of toasted sliced almonds. slice and serve.

similar recipes:

strawberry-rhubarb & olive oil chocolate cake

Mostly Veggie Chocolate Smoothie / April 5, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Mostly Veggie Chocolate Smoothie | dolly and oatmeal

hey guys. sorry it's been a couple weeks since checking in here. life has been busy with my little 27-inch baby who just turned 6 months old, and has two. tiny. teeth!!! amesy/all of us went through a little rough patch back a couple weeks ago. he began waking up for the day around 3:30am, was wasn't taking his regular naps, and was just generally unhappy. poor bb. during one of his sweet crying fits i noticed a teeny tiny tooth bud! so, extreme sleep deprivation aside, we were happy to know what the cause of his discomfort was, and that hopefully it would pass quickly for him. i'm happy to report, that he's in much better spirits the past few days and we're all getting steady sleep. so here's hoping i can be a bit more present in this space.

on another note, let's talk smoothies. some people call it a trend, but replacing fruit in your smoothies with veggies is definitely worth the hype in my book. while on my cleanse a few weeks ago, i had to give up bananas as they maintain that they're high in sugar and starch. but pre-cleanse i would add a banana into my daily smoothie. and while i never felt terrible from them, i did notice during the cleanse process that my banana-less smoothies didn't give me that heavy, glut feeling which was super enlightening. i first experimented with replacing the bananas with concoctions of cauliflower, avocado, sometimes zucchini, sweet potatoes, and small portions of berries.

about a half week into cleansing i desperately needed something chocolatey. i experimented for a day or two and came up with this version of a (almost fruitless) chocolate smoothie. it completely sated that chocolate craving, while also being super nourishing, and i was completely hooked on it. i generally make this in the morning, as the carbs in the sweet potato and dates provide a great baseline to get your day started with the energy that your body demands. dates actually have more potassium than bananas and are known to be easier to digest. getting extra veggies in is something i am always striving for especially when you have zero time to prepare food. it's rounded out with some creamy, healthy fats making it the perfect velvety smoothie. this is a pretty loaded smoothie and therefore i would say it's definitely a meal. it has way too many calories and carbs to be a snack-y smoothie ;)

xo!

mostly veggie chocolate smoothie | v

i love this smoothie as is, but for more of a chocolate chocolate chip vibe, add up to 1/2 tablespoon of cacao nibs during the last 10 seconds of blending. for better digestion, i suggest steaming your cauliflower and sweet potato, then freezing it. but i have also just blended them up frozen (not steamed) as well. generally add 1/8 of an avocado to my smoothies for a creamy quality, but for an even creamier vibe you can add 1/4 of one. lastly, feel free to add whatever herbs or oils you choose. personally, i'm an ashwaghanda, reishi, mct oil kind of girl, but add what makes you feel good :)

| makes 1 serving |

1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/2 cup filtered water
1/2 heaping cup frozen cauliflower
1/2 heaping cup frozen sweet potato
1/8-1/4 avocado
1 scoop vanilla or chocolate protein powder
handful baby spinach
3 soft pitted dates
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
2 tablespoons cashew butter

method

add all the ingredients to a high speed blender (preferably a vitamix) and blend starting on low and working your way up to high, using tamper as needed.
pour into a large glass or bowl and top with extra cacao powder and shredded coconut.

Almond-Cashew & Chia Balance Balls / March 22, 2017 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Almond-Cashew & Chia Balance Balls | dolly and oatmeal

happy spring, friends! i've been looking forward to saying that since basically november, and it's finally here (even though the temperature outside and sloooowly melting snow may tell a different story)! spring has a way of having seemingly endless boundaries. the days seem a bit more easy-breezy and free, since there aren't the confines of it getting dark at 5pm. and the notion of a revived sense of being. we have had little suggestions of green buds appearing on the raspberry and elderflower bushes that i planted last year which i'm sure are thoroughly confused since we had an 8-inch dump of snow last week. i have little garlic and chive shoots popping up as well and it's giving me all the hope that the warmth is coming!

i'm not sure if this winter hit me as hard as it did because we had a baby and i essentially felt stuck inside most days. and even though i made it a mission to take walks when it was freezing, those feelings felt quite suffocating at times. so the impending spring weather is feeling like a release more than anything at this point, which i'm so grateful for.

it seems as though spring growth has cast its spell on our amesy as well. at times he seems like is a completely different baby from just 2 months ago. his curious streak is continuing with trying to grab our breakfast, put his hands in my lunch bowls, and swing, swat, and snatch anything that comes into his purview. he's a totally wild soul and i cannot get enough of him exploring his environment and taking in his little world.

a couple weeks ago when i was still mid-cleanse, i needed something chocolatey, also something cookie-like. while these balls are completely "grain-free" and made from primarily nuts and seeds, they taste like cookie dough! they're slightly sweetened with a few dates and vanilla, but they have that little bite of salt at the end like a good cookie. i love that there's no sugar high or low, nor is there any nonsense, just straight up nourishing, good-for-your-body/soul healthy fats! there are some powdery potions in the mix as well if you're wanting that extra self-love care, if not, no worries, they'll be just as yummy :)

cheers to spring!!! xo

almond-cashew & chia balance balls | v & gf

| makes about 16 balls |

1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 1/2 teaspoons chia seeds
1 1/2 teaspoons maca powder
1/2 teaspoon ashwagandha (optional)
1/2 teaspoon reishi (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 soft pitted dates
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
cacao powder, for dusting
crushed dried flowers, for garnish

chocolate shell

1/4 cup virgin coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup cacao powder
1 tablespoon coconut nectar (or maple syrup)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

method

in a food processor fitted with a metal "s" blade, pulse the almonds, cashews, chia seeds, maca, ashwagandha (if using), reishi (if using), and salt until the nuts are finely ground into what looks sand-like. then add the dates and pulse until they are broken down and incorporated. next, add the vanilla and coconut oil and pulse until the mixture comes together in a loose ball. transfer the mix to shallow bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture is stiff, about 20-30 minutes.
line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. use a 1/2 tablespoon measure to form about 16 balls and place them on the prepared baking sheet. freeze for 15 minutes.
while the balls are freezing, make the chocolate shell. in a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients together until smooth and set aside.
dip the tops of the balls into the chocolate then place them back onto the baking sheet and freeze for another 30 minutes, until balls are frozen through.
store the balance balls in a lidded container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.