Healthier Banana Bread

I love to bake and was fully appalled when I realized that I have never made a fresh loaf of banana bread. Probably because my husband and I typically only crave baked goods that are dripping in chocolate, but those extra ripe bananas on my counter were crying to be made into a glorious loaf.

I could have easily added chocolate chips (and probably would have if I had any!), but throwing a handful of pecans into the mix gave a beautiful crunch along side the super moist bread. (I hate the word moist, but it's really the only description!!!)

Since I knew I am the only one in the house who will eat this (Matt and bananas are not friends), I made extra effort to find a healthier alternative that I wouldn't feel guilty about having a couple slices of. I found a great recipe HERE that involves no refined sugar and uses coconut oil and whole wheat flour. Since I didn't have any whole wheat flour on hand, I tweaked it just a tad by combining All Purpose flour + Almond flour. The results are a perfectly delicious banana bread! Throw some butter on top and the angels in heaven sing. 

My favorite part is the cinnamon swirl on top! And see that crack on the top of the loaf? That means it's perfect :)

It's not overly sweet and will be PERFECT in the morning with a hot cup of coffee. And maybe in the afternoon with some hot tea. Or even for dinner. And after dinner.

 I may be a banana bread newbie, but I don't think I will look any further for an amazing recipe

Healthier Banana Bread 

Adapted from Cookieandkate.com

INGREDIENTS

• 1⁄3 cup melted coconut oil
• 1⁄2 cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 21⁄2 medium or 2 large bananas) 
•1⁄4 cup almond milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus more to swirl on top
• 3⁄4 Cup + 2 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
• 3⁄4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Almond Flour
• OPTIONAL: 1⁄2 cup mix-ins! (chopped walnuts or pecans, chocolate
chips, raisins, chopped dried fruit, ect)

INSTRUCTIONS

1.  Preheat oven to 325F and grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan
2.  In a large bowl, beat the oil and maple syrup together with a whisk 
3.  Add the eggs and beat well
4. Whisk in the mashed bananas and almond milk. (Your coconut oil
may solidify when it comes into contact with cold ingredients! Microwave for 10 seconds t a time, or let bowl sit on warm surface like the heating oven!)
5.  Add the baking soda, vanilla, salt and cinnamon, and whisk to blend
6.  With a large wooden spoon, stir in the flour, just until combined. Some lumps are ok! If you're adding any additional mix-ins, gently fold them in now
7.  Pour the batter into your greased loaf pan and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon. To get a pretty swirled effect, run the tip of a knife across the batter in a zig-zag pattern
8.  Bake for 55 min, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. (The more mix-ins you have, the longer it may take to bake.)

Enjoy!!

xx Jessica

Calligraphy and DIY ink!

Everyone has their own style when it comes to doing calligraphy and making prints, but I thought I would share my process including the materials I always have on hand, and how I make my own ink!

This is a print for a friend. She sent me this sweet quote and requested a navy ink on white paper. Let's get started on getting all of our material together!

The items I always start with are: 

1. Smooth paper (here is 100# cardstock)

2. Sketching pencil

3. Eraser

4. Ruler

5. Gouache and small container (Or the readymade ink from any craft store)

6. Calligraphy nib and handle (My favorite nib is the Nikko G. I got mine online HERE)

I start by deciding how many rows of words I need for the quote. This one has 5 rows, so I used the ruler to make 5 equally spaced lines, and then lightly sketched the quote on top. I love the book Modern Calligraphy by Molly Suber Thorpe because she shows so many different styles for all of the letters. Sometimes I get stuck doing the same things over and over, and this book has given me so many ideas and pushed me creatively. I highly recommend it!

Once the quote is sketched out to my liking, I get my ink ready! It's easy to buy ink at the store, but I find the colors are very limited so I love making my own! I don't think people realize how easy it is. 

I have a huge pack of gouache paints that I got at Hobby Lobby and literally all you do it squeeze some paint into a small container, and add water. Thats it! you can mix colors around to make WHATEVER ink color you want! You have to be careful not to add too much water as it will be too thin when you're writing, so just add a drop of water at a time until the consistency is just slightly thicker than water,  almost like blood. (I know thats gross I'm sorry but its the best description!!)

Next, I carefully traced the quote and prayed I didn't mess up! It did take me two times to get this one right, but I'm really happy with the end result. Once it's completely dried, erase your pencil marks and you're done!

The key to calligraphy is lots of practice and lots of patience. Don't put any pressure on upstrokes and  have firm pressure on downstrokes to get that variation of thin/thick lines. I thought I broke my nib the first time I did this, but they are supposed to split down the middle on your downstroke and carry that nice ink in between the prongs to make a thick line.  Be sure to always do a couple strokes on some scrap paper after dipping your nib into fresh ink so that you don't end up with ink blobs. Youtube is also a great resource!

I hope this post was helpful if you have been thinking about trying it out!

x Jessica

Summer Wishlist

This is a new kind of post for the blog, but seeing as I am currently confined to the couch with aches, chills, and a lead balloon head, I figured it was the perfect time to browse my favorite sites and make my summer wishlist!

I'm no stranger to online shopping. Fairbanks, Alaska is not exactly known for their trendy stores, but thankfully most of my favorites will ship to the arctic.

This list is ever changing and ever growing, and Lord knows I can't afford all of this, but it's fun to dream! These are the items that caught my eye today. I'm loving whites with pops of color, and when Alaska decides to finally decides to go full-on summer mode, this is what you'll find me in.

1. Manarola Off the Shouler Top

2. Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Collection Face Palette 

Blushes and highlighters please! Ok so this palette sold out in about a day, but I am on the waiting list for when it's back in stock!! To see how truly beautiful and perfect this thing is, then watch Jaclyn Hill's youtube video HERE

3. Morena Gabrielli Esperance Sandals

4. Steven by Steve Madden Embroidered Pompom Tote

I love all things pompom!!

5. Ecote Embroidered Balloon-Sleeve Romper

6. Wildfox Eau de Parfum

I got this as a sample in a recent order and I'm obsessed. Perfect for summer.

7. Kimchi Blue La Palma Crochet Inset Mini Dress

8. Poseidon Pendant

9. Eyelet Halter Top / Lacework Shorts

x Jessica

Spaghetti Squash 2 Ways

Eating healthy drives a person to find ways to satisfy their inner fat-kid with questionable alternatives and recipes that many times fall flat (i.e. Cashew cheese. Womp Womp.) This recipe, my friends, is not one of those.

Spaghetti squash is God's way of telling us He understands your diet sucks and offering a way to make your grain-free/noodle-free/awesome-free meals a little more bearable. Made properly, spaghetti squash is a big carb-free hug to your tummy and is very versatile! The mild flavor soaks up the deliciousness of the dish while offering that important noodle-like consistency.

For a step-by-step tutorial on how to first prepare spaghetti squash, click here. It's TOO easy. With a large squash, I used one half for a lemon, rosemary, ginger dish and the other half for a spicy tomato dish. I kept the "noodles" I wasn't using in the fridge overnight, and they held up great. I was also able to get 3 meals total out of each HALF. Yay!

First off, both meals had 4 main ingredients as their base. Chicken, red bell pepper, frozen kale, and sweet onion. From there I added different ingredients to make each taste totally different, and I love how they turned out!

Next come all the additions! I'm not very good at spelling out recipes and giving exact amounts because I'm very impulsive in the kitchen, but I'll give it a shot.

Lemon, Ginger, & Rosemary Spaghetti Squash Noodles

- 1-2 TBSP olive oil
-2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
-1 red bell pepper diced
-1 small yellow onion diced
-1/2 cup frozen kale
-2 round slices of lemon
-1/2 inch ginger root grated
-1 tsp rosemary (fresh or dried)
-spaghetti squash noodles from half

Heat olive oil in sauté pan over medium heat.
Season chicken with salt/pepper and cook thoroughly in sauté pan. Set chicken aside.
In same pan, cook onions, peppers, kale, until soft.
Add lemon, ginger, rosemary to pan and stir until fragrant.
Add chicken back into pan with spaghetti squash noodles. Mix.
Remove lemon slices. Season with salt and pepper.
EAT!

Spicy Tomato Spaghetti Squash Noodles

- 1-2 TBSP coconut oil
- 2 chicken breasts cut into pieces
-1 red bell pepper diced
-1 small yellow onion diced
-1/2 cup frozen kale
-8oz can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
-1/2 small can of green chiles
-1 tsp fresh cilantro
-1 tsp cumin
-1 tsp coriander
-pinch of cayenne
-1/2 lime
-spaghetti squash noodles from half

Heat 1-2 TBSP coconut oil in sauté pan over medium heat.
Season chicken with salt/pepper and cook thoroughly in sauté pan. Set chicken aside.
In same pan, cook onions, peppers, kale, until soft.
Add tomatoes, chiles, and all herbs/seasonings until warmed though and fragrant.
Add chicken back to pan with spaghetti squash noodles.
Squeeze in lime juice, season with salt and pepper, garnish with more cilantro.
EAT!

Healthy, delicious, and easy! This has been a life saver while on whole30. Let me know if you try these or what your favorite spaghetti squash recipe is!

I'm doing Whole30 + Easy Breakfast Recipe!

That's right. If you have seen my previous posts that involve sweets on sweets then you probably knew this was coming, too. After a 2 week vacation to the lower 48 where we ate all of our favorite foods, Valentine's day, and all the delicious, horrible-for-you things in between, I decided it was time to hit the reset button.

If you have never heard of whole30, it's a basically a 30 day challenge in which you entirely eliminate all grains, added sugars (including honey and artificial sweeteners), alcohol, legumes (including soy products), and dairy. That pretty much leaves you with meat, eggs, seafood, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. The idea is to eliminate the foods that are known to cause inflammatory reactions in many people and then to gradually add them back into your diet after 30 days to see what your triggers are.

There are many claims that this has helped people to not only lose weight (which the author's are clear, this is NOT a weight loss regimen, however it's inevitable considering all that your cutting out),  this diet is supposed to help clear up allergies, joint pain, asthma, etc. If you visit the Whole30 website, the list is endless. I have a good friend whose asthma was completely cleared up after doing this diet, and it recently started to return as her eating habits began to slip. I personally do not struggle with these issues, however I knew I needed something that was extreme enough to put me back on the right track as this is also supposed to help you with your relationship with food and appreciating natural, whole ingredients.

I'm officially 10 days in and I have to say, I feel great! The first 2-3 days were the hardest because I had extreme sugar cravings and really bad headaches, but honestly I'm not even halfway, and I feel like a totally different person. I have lots of energy, my clothes are fitting better, and my cravings have turned from sugary sweets to whole, nutritious foods. This is not to say that I don't plan on continuing to bake when I'm done, but I plan on eating smarter and watching portions more!

If you're thinking of starting Whole30 I have a few tips:

1) Do your research! It's easy to feel overwhelmed at first, but the internet and the Whole30 site is full of all the info you need to feel prepared and ready to take on the challenge.

2) Don't do this alone! I have recruited 2 friends from work to do this with me, and it has been so nice to be able to text them when I'm feeling weak or to share a recipe with! We keep each other motivated and encouraged, and I think this process would be much harder without them.

3) Meal plan! This is crucial. This diet is nearly impossible to do without a plan. You HAVE to stay focused, and have fresh, nutritious foods on hand or else my husband's Frosted Mini Wheats in the pantry would be a distant memory by now. Find recipes you like and stock up on ingredients. Make enough food to last a few meals so that you're not getting burnt out cooking every meal. Have fresh fruit on hand and different kinds of nuts for snacks.

4) Read your labels! It is shocking how many things have added sugar in it. I almost screwed it up the very first day by having almond butter with sugar as the 2nd ingredient!! Things you would think are harmless and "healthy" may have something sneaky in it. Here is a list of different names added sugars may go by whole30.com/downloads/whole30-sugar.pdf

5) Get creative! I've had a lot of fun making some of these recipes my own. Healthy can also be delicious. Seasonings, herbs, and oils can make one dish completely different from another. Be bold and try something new!

6) Take before pics! This was the very not-fun part, but I think after 30 days I'm going to be happy I did! I also weighed and measured, and I am excited to see what my results are at the end!

7) Have a food diary!  I am using the app YouFood where I literally take a picture of everything I eat. At the end of the day I write how I think the day went and what I want to do differently next time. I love being able to see my whole day all layed out and all the beautiful colors of the fruits and veggies in my meals. It's keeping me encouraged to keep making healthy choices! If you'd like to get the app you can follow me at jessdilee.

I wanted to share one of my favorite breakfasts I've been making that is so delicious, quick, easy, and very filling! I love cereal. Like I could have cereal for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Since cereal is obviously "non-compliant," I've been making my own version, and it can easily be adjusted to anyone's preference!

Basically it's a handful of sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, coconut flakes, chia seeds, sliced banana, blueberries, dash of cinnamon, and unsweetened almond milk. Throw it all in a bowl and eat your new, delicious, healthy cereal to your heart's content. It has the perfect crunch and just the right amount of sweetness. Add a hard boiled egg on the side and you're golden! Change up the nuts, the fruits, use coconut milk, and you have a totally different breakfast.

I hope this post has been helpful! Stay tuned for more Whole30, delicious, healthy recipes!!


xo Jessica

Over-the-top Milkshakes

If you're anything like me and have an unhealthy obsession with looking at beautiful desserts on Instagram, then you may have noticed a growing trend that involves insane milkshakes topped with everything magical and delicious you can think of. It only made sense that I, too, attempted this milkshake madness and it was SO MUCH FUN.

Let's be real, this does not take a lot of technical ability. All you need is an unwavering sweet tooth and the bravery to make all your dessert dreams come true at one time. For my first shake, I went with Salted Caramel and Nutella Chocolate covered with whipped cream, a chocolate donut, pretzels, and M&Ms.

I won't get technical with recipes because I literally closed my eyes and threw nutella and salted caramel into a blender full of double chocolate ice cream and milk. One regret I do have is trying to use the caramel as my "glue" for the outside of the jar. It wouldn't set, and everything kept slowly slipping down the sides (a sticky, messy, delicious problem to have). I would definitely use melted chocolate that will harden as shown in my next milkshake.

My next creation was the White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake Milkshake. I used the Talenti raspberry cheesecake gelato (which is so delicious I could cry) and combined it with melted white chocolate. I then used the white chocolate all over my jar to glue on frosted animal crackers, and topped it off with whipped cream, a sprinkled donut and raspberries.

This project was so fun and there are thousands of flavors, toppings, decorations you could make. I think on a smaller scale, it could be really cute for a party or get-together. These are sure to bring lots of boys to the yard. Let me know if you make your own crazy shake and send pics!!

xo Jessica

Brush Lettering

Hello! It's meee....

I wanted to do a quick post about brush lettering with watercolor! It's one of my favorite lettering techniques, and I think it's so pretty how the pigment fades and changes throughout all of the letters. It's relatively easy to do as long as the bristles of your paintbrush cooperate, just takes a little practice. 

You'll want to use the watercolor that comes from a tube instead of a palette because it's richer and makes a deeper, more dramatic pigment. After a quick sketch of your phrase or quote, mix your paint with a small amount of water. Using a small pointed paintbrush, trace your letters trying to use more pressure on your downstrokes to make that "calligraphy" look.

Use different colors, mix colors, do whatever your heart desires.

Have fun!

xo Jessica

Strawberries & Cream Sugar Cookie Sandwiches

It's cold in Alaska and I needed something that reminded me of spring! I'm also very ready for the sun to come back out which would be helpful in getting better quality pics, but I think I got the point across with these yummy and easy Strawberry & Cream Sugar Cookie Sandwiches. 

My favorite part was getting to use my beautiful Polish wood-engraved rolling pin my dear friend, Kenzie, got me for my birthday. It added the prettiest floral details that were ALMOST too adorable to eat. Almost. These would have been perfect by themselves but why stop at a cookie when you can have TWO cookies sandwiching fluffy vanilla buttercream swirled with fresh homemade strawberry compote (jam?) (goop?). Even my die-hard chocolate obsessed husband ate, oh let's count, ALL OF THEM. Seriously. 

My favorite sugar cookies:

2.5 cups AP flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) room temp unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

(Makes 36 cookies)

• Heat oven to 350° F. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla.
• Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated (the dough will be stiff). Shape into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
• On a floured surface, roll the dough to ¼ inch thick. Using cookie cutters, cut into shapes. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets, spacing them 1½ inches apart. Sprinkle with the sanding sugar, if using.
• Bake until just beginning to brown at the edges, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool slightly on baking sheets, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
• Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.

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For the strawberry compote: 

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

2 Tbs sugar

• In small saucepan, combine strawberries and sugar. 
• Bring to boil. 
• Decrease to simmer for 20 minutes until strawberries are thickened.

For the vanilla buttercream:

1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter

3 cups confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla

Heavy cream

pinch of salt

• In electric mixer, beat butter on med-high until light and fluffy.
• Add sugar 1 cup at a time until well incorporated, adding heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to loosen frosting until mixture is at desired consistency 
• Add vanilla and salt
• Mix on high until frosting is white and fluffy

To combine strawberry compote and buttercream, alternate spoonfuls of each mixture into piping bag, rotating the bag so that equal mixtures of compote and buttercream line the sides. Shake bag until all air bubbles are gone and the mixture is at the tip of your nozzle.

I had fun making these! Let me know if you try it out!

xo Jessica

Easy diy Watercolor

I have a love/hate relationship with watercolor. I love it because I think its beauuuuutiful, you can work with multiple colors at once, and it can be very forgiving. I hate it because I find it's very easy for me to over-do (the case with most mediums, actually), and it has a mind of its own, which can be fun and surprising or make the control-freak in me start to twitch.

I decided I wanted to experiment with my frenemy and work on some easy, not overdone, "modern" art. I love minimalism these days and find that I'm attracted to colorful, simple patterns and prints. While I can say a couple didn't turn out exactly as I pictured in my head, I'm overall pleased with the results and think they could be easily replicated by anyone!

To start, you'll need watercolor (obviously), paint brushes, a sketching pencil, watercolor paper, a cup of water to clean your brushes, and paper towels. Basically the same set-up we had in kindergarten!

I love patterns that involve fruits so I did a quick sketch of the vision in my head (i.e. strawberries and triangles) and went crazy with pinks and oranges. I didn't stress that I went outside the lines or that it wasn't perfectly even.  I just did what I felt like, and I kind of like that it's a little messy! (Be sure to erase the pencil marks once dry!) One thing I'm finding to be helpful when creating, whether with baking or art, is to just have fun no matter what it ends up looking like. I can find 100,000 things wrong with anything I make, but creating isn't about being perfect. Perfect is boring. I'm beginning to embrace the quirks and messiness of some of my work as a reflection of who I am. Not polished or perfect, a work in progress, but always colorful and interesting. What were we talking about?

This one is pretty straight forward. I really like simple patterns with soft colors and the juxtaposition of harsh blacks. I'm basically an art connoisseur.

This one is my faaaaaave. A soft washed background with pinks and yellows and an aloe plant that was WAY easier to make that it looks. After a quick sketch, I slowly layered different greens until they made a beautiful baby and then added white dots.

This is about as simple as they come, people. BUT I think it will look good as an accent next to some stronger artwork or pretty pics of the family. Can you tell what colors I'm attracted to?

That's it! These were quick, easy and I think will look really cute in different areas of the house. What's your favorite thing to paint?

xo Jessica