Leeves & Berries

a gathering of nourishment and delight

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PUMPKIN PIE + GINGERSNAP AND BROWN BUTTER CRUST

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PUMPKIN PIE + GINGERSNAP AND BROWN BUTTER CRUST

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Healing Bone Broth Recipe

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Paleo Chocolate Macaroons (gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free)

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stacked caprese salad

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Lemon Ricotta Pancakes | gluten free |

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The Easiest Guacamole 

I’ve really missed this space. Somehow the winter swept in and ran away with all my time but I didn't forget about this little corner of my life. I’ve been in a whirlwind of celebrations, sickness, moving, meeting goals (okay, and not meeting goals) and just general living all topped off with the holidays but alas, I’m finally at a stand still. Which is honestly where I am at my most content. Some people love to have a packed schedule and I admire those who do but I’m happiest when life is slow slow slow.  

While I have had little time for blogging, don’t think that doesn't mean I haven't been eating. I have definitely been eating. And luckily for you that means there are good many delicious recipes coming your way and I can hardly wait to share them with you. I thought I would ease my way back in with this insanely simple recipe for guacamole. Guacamole is one of those wonderful things that can go on practically everything while being a recipe that you can carry in your head, ready to be whipped up at any ole time.

The Easiest Guacamole

Ingredients:

2 large and ripe avocados, sliced and diced from skin

1/2 red onion or 1/2 bunch of green onions

1 clove of garlic

juice from 1/2 lime

juice from 1/4 an orange

pinch of cayenne pepper if you like a little spice in your life

1/4 -1/2 bunch of organic cilantro, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

** if your feeling extra lazy, and believe me I’ve been there, you can substitute the fresh garlic and onion for garlic and onion powder to taste**

Directions:

1.  Put your diced avocado in a large bowl. Using a fork give it a good mash until fairly uniform. If your a chunky guacamole lover (hey oh!) then put aside half an avocados worth of diced avocado to stir in later. 

2. Add in all of your remaining ingredients (including the reserved avocado for the chunky lovers) and give the guacamole a good stir. Salt and pepper it to taste. 

[leevesandberries]

Luxe Peppermint Bark

Chocolate bark has always been one of my favorite little treats to make in the winter. I still remember how amazed I was when my good friend showed me how easy it was to make. We had some leftover melted chocolate that I was ready to throw out when she stopped me, slathered the chocolate over a piece of parchment paper and slipped it in the freezer for ten minutes to set. Obviously, I have not let even a spoonful of melted chocolate go to waste since.

While I usually spruce it up with some sea salt and freshly ground coffee beans, this year I decided I wanted to take the bark up just a notch.

When I saw this recipe over at the Detoxinista blog I knew that it would make for the perfect twist to the bark. I went into it thinking that I might be able to omit the cashews from the recipe but once I whisked together the melted cacao with the honey I soon realized that the cacao would separate from the honey unless it had something solid to grab onto. It turned out amazing and the cashews really helped the cacao go farther than without them.

Peppermint Bark

1 1/2 cups of semi sweet chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate

1 candy cane, crushed for garnish, try and avoid candy canes that have red 40 and HFCS in them if you can (optional)

1.8 ounces of raw cacao butter

10 drops of peppermint essential oil or 2 tsp of peppermint extract

1/4 cup of honey

1/3 cup of cashews

Method:

Prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and set aside. 

Melt chocolate over a double broiler until smooth.

Spread the melted chocolate evenly over your parchment lined baking sheet with a rubber spatula or spoon. 

Put baking sheet in the freezer and allow the chocolate to cool and completely set while you make the peppermint topping. 

Over a double boiler melt the cacao butter over medium low heat.

While the cacao butter is melting, put your cashews into a food processor or high speed blender and process until very finely ground. It is okay if it begins to turn into cashew butter a little bit. 

Once the cacao butter is melted whisk in the honey and peppermint oil. 

Pour cacao mixture into the ground cashews and process until uniform and fairly smooth

If the mixture starts to clump up after a bit of processing, don't worry, that is the cacao butter cooling and solidifying again. It will melt back down when you press the cacao mixture onto the baking sheet. 

Evenly spread and press down the cashew cacao mixture on top of the set chocolate bark. Garnish with *crushed candy cane and allow to set in the freezer for 10-20 minutes. 

Store in an air tight container in the fridge or freezer. 

[leevesandberries]

Pretzel Crust French Silk Pie + Thankfulness

When I was five years old grief came heavy like rain on my family in the form of my brothers death. I know that this is a strange way to begin a blog post about french silk pie but it all comes together somehow- I think. The day before he died my sister and I were feeling a little too cool to play with our little brother. We locked him out of our bedroom while he sat outside the door in his cartoon diaper and oversized t-shirt. The sound of little fists on the hollow white door. 

That moment shot white hot pain through my heart in the hours, days, months, after his death and if I am completely honest - it still does. I would give anything  to be that five year old again, open up the door, scoop him up in my little arms, hug him and tell him how much he is missed and how sorry I was we didn’t appreciate every single second he was here. Obviously, thats a joy that eternity has reserved and thats okay because the pain of that regret taught me something I am realizing sometimes only that level of pain can teach. Thankfulness. Not only for the shining souls around me but for the way the sun is slanting through my blinds and the taste of my coffee and the sound of laughter seeping in from the living room. Thankfulness abounds if you can learn to look for it. 

Not long after my brothers death there was a phrase that I heard my parents repeat time and time again to whoever heard their story, “So much good has come from it.” At first when I heard them say it I saw the desperate hopefulness behind the phrase. Their voices said it with confidence but their eyes had this plea of “Right? Good has to come from this, it has too.” After months and years passed that phrase faded from wishful thinking to concrete fact. So much good has been woven from that same thread of grief with one single attribute standing above the rest. Thankfulness. An unexpected gift to gain from loss and pain but one that I always come back to as the source to so much joy. 

In my family, we love each other- like a lot. And we love each other because we are beyond grateful that the person next to us, that person we love so dearly is still there. Breathing. Laughing. Smiling. Crying. Being a total jerk. It doesn’t really matter because they are there and its now and when you wrap your head around that you can’t help but feel thankful. And from a thankful heart so much beauty can grow. Forgiveness comes easily, grudges fade fast, appreciation and love overflow. 

So this Thanksgiving as I sit around my moms old wooden table before the Turkey comes steaming from the oven and the potatoes get passed around and the pie gets sliced into I’m going to sit and feel the weight of joy that comes from a thankful heart. Because so much good can come from that feeling.

No Bake French Silk Pie (GF)

Pretzel Crust:

1.5 cups of gluten free pretzels, crushed

1/2 cup of pastured butter (1 stick), melted

1/4 cup of honey

Chocolate Filling:

6 oz of semi-sweet chocolate, melted

1 cup of pastured butter (2 sticks), room temperature

3/4 cup of granulated sugar 

1 tbsp of vanilla extract

4 pastured eggs

Method:

In a medium sized bowl combine the crushed pretzels, 1/2 cup of melted butter and 1/4 cup of honey and stir until well combined.

Press pretzel mixture into a 8-9 inch pie pan then place in the refrigerator until pie filling is ready. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer that is fitted with the whisk attachment whisk the 1 cup of room temperature butter and sugar on high speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. 

Next, pour in your melted chocolate and vanilla and whisk for a minute until well combined. 

Lastly, set the mixer speed to medium and over a 20 minute time period crack in 1 egg every every 5 minutes. 

Once the pie filling is smooth and creamy, take the pie crust out of the fridge and pour the chocolate filling to the top of the crust. Smooth out and allow to set in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours or overnight. 

Top off with whipped cream or coconut cream. 

Recipe generously adapted from Cup Of Jo

[leevesandberries]

Chicken Pad Thai + Brown Rice Noodles (GF)

We are just moments into October and while summer has marked its exodus with the swimming pool losing its lure and the earlier sunsets I still haven’t quite let my mind shift fully into the fall spirit. Though I do have a shopping list with all the ingredients needed to whip up some gluten free pumpkin bread so I am sure I’ll be willing to abandon myself to the fall spirit pretty soon here. But not before I enjoy one of my favorite meals from this summer one last time. 

Honestly, I usually shy away from making asian dishes at home because it almost never turns out nearly as good as at a restaurant but this recipe turned that thinking around for me. The Pad Thai sauce over brown rice noodles and the touch of brightness from the fresh cilantro - so so good. 

Chicken Pad Thai (GF) 

 By Kelly Leeves, September 17, 2015

 Prep Time: 20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes Yield: 4 servings  

Ingredients: 

8 ounces brown rice pad thai noodles 

2 eggs

1 tbsp of olive oil

1.5 lbs of pastured chicken breast or boneless and skinless chicken thighs, cut 1-2 inch pieces

1/4 cup of cilantro, washed and roughly chopped

4 green onions, sliced

½ cup cashews, lightly toasted or raw

3 tablespoons tamari sauce or 5 tbsp of coconut aminos

1 tablespoon sriracha

juice from 2 limes

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp of honey

Method: 

1. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet then add in your chopped chicken breast/thighs.

2. Allow your chicken to cook over medium high heat until slightly browned on the outside and cooked all the way through. This should take 15-20 minutes. 

3. While the chicken is cooking prepare your pad thai sauce by whisking the tamari sauce, sriracha, lime juice, olive oil and honey together until uniform. Set aside. 

4. When chicken is almost finished prepare the brown rice noodles by following the instructions on the package. (* I recommend running noodles under cold water immediately after they are finished cooking to avoid overly sticky noodles)

5. Once your chicken is cooked, crack both eggs into the skillet and stir with a spatula until the eggs are scrambled and cooked.

6. Add your brown rice noodles to the skillet with the chicken in it and give it a good stir. Pour your pad thai sauce over the noodles and chicken and stir until sauce is evenly spread through the dish. 

7. Lastly, top off with chopped cilantro, sliced green onion and cashews. 

adapted from Rachel Schultz

[leevesandberries]

Individual Key Lime Pie (GF, DF, Refined Sugar Free and No Bake (oh my!)

This summer has been a good one. An ungodly hot one but by golly a good one. I got to take a road trip with my brother to Santa Fe, New Mexico for a destination wedding which was wonderful. We stopped at White Sands Monument along the way for a hike and some photos.  I was home for less than 24 hours before taking off again for a week of ultimate relaxation at Alys Beach. Not long after that I celebrated being on the earth for a quarter of a century.

Turning another year older left my mind on the concept of change. On how I am grateful to no longer be the person I was ten years ago and how grateful I am that I will no longer be the same person I am now in another ten years. I love how we were created to evolve, to learn, to change. It’s a powerful thing to realize that we can constantly grow into a better version of ourselves - if only we are willing. And I think that is the tricky part. Being willing. The older I get the more of a fight it is to stay hungry for learning and growth. The temptation to plateau is so strong but so unsatisfying if you give into it for too long. So while I don’t know what for sure this next year will bring I hope that I can look back on it knowing that each day I chose to be willing to change.

And that concludes life lessons with Kelly. 

Some recent loves of mine : It won the Pulitzer last year so chances are many of you have read or are planning on reading it but (to my great sadness) I just finished this book. It’s lovely and sad and beautiful written. Please read it.  Do you like really rad lady musicians? Then you’ll like this human. Do you like to laugh and distrust cats? Watch this.

Ingredients for key lime filling:

1 cup raw cashews, soaked for 4-6 hours (or overnight), then drained

3/4 cup light or full fat coconut milk, can well shaken

1/4 cup coconut oil or butter or a combination of both, melted

3-4 large limes, squeezed,( 1/2 cup juice)

1 tbsp of lime zest

1/3 - 1/2 cup of honey, taste as you go to decide on amount of sweetness

For the coconut pecan crust:

1 cup of raw pecans

½ cup of cashews

¼ cup of shredded coconut

1 ½ tbsp of pastured butter or coconut oil, melted

1/8 tsp of sea salt

Method:

For the filling:

1. Place all of the key lime filling ingredients into a high speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside until pie assembly. 

For the crust:

Preheat the oven to 375 F and prepare a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Toss the cashews and pecans and the butter/oil together and spread out on the baking sheet. 

Bake for 5 minutes then removed from the oven and stir in the shredded coconut. Bake for another 5 minutes or until nuts and shredded coconut are nicely toasted. 

Put the pecan mixture and sea salt into a food processor and process until it is roughly fine meal.

To assemble the individual key lime pies:

I recommend using mini mason jars for this- alternatively you could use a muffin tin lined with muffin cups. 

First layer 2-3 tbsp of the pecan crust into the bottom of the jar then 3-4 tbsp of the key lime pie filling.

Place in the freezer for 3-5 hours or chill in the fridge overnight.

Top off with whipped cream or whipped coconut cream.

Enjoy!

adapted from The Minimalist Baker

[leevesandberries]

Summer Abundance Bowl + Tahini Miso Dressing

Tomatoes. Kale. Sweet Potatoes. A magical combination and luckily for me three crops that can be found in bounty during Texas summers. Whenever I worked on an organic farm last summer I could always count on bringing these home in my CSA. While I learned to get creative with them like in these tacos, I often found myself keeping it simple and easy with this abundance bowl. It is one of my favorite ways to eat wholesome without having to use too much brain power after a long day. 

Random goodies:

My husband has opened my ears to world of podcasts recently and they have quickly become a favorite part about my day. There are an insane amount of incredible podcasts out there which I will be passing along here as I discover them myself but for now I am obsessed with Radiolab. So far this episode has been my absolute favorite. 

This is some good ole jazzy thinking music. 

I’ll be making my husband watch this movie with me for the third time soon. Nineteenth century film lovers unite. 

Ingredients: Serves 2

1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed

1/2 bunch of organic kale, washed and leaves torn from stems

2 tomatoes, quartered

cold pressed extra virgin olive oil for cooking

sea salt and pepper

sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

For the tahini miso dressing:

1/4 a cup of tahini 

1 tbsp of mellow or sweet white miso

1 small garlic clove

1 tbsp of lemon juice or more to taste

1 tsp of honey 

1 tsp red wine vinegar 

1/4 tsp of sesame oil 

salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the tahini miso dressing:  

 Place all of the tahini and miso dressing ingredients into a high speed blender or food processor and blend until smooth and uniform. Place aside until abundance bowl is assembled. 

For the abundance bowl:

Preheat oven to 400 F. 

Place chopped and peeled sweet potatoes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and toss with roughly 1 tsp of olive oil. Lightly salt and pepper. Roast for 30-40 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. 

Place you quartered tomatoes in a bowl to the side. 

In a small saucepan, heat 1/4 tsp of olive oil over medium high heat until hot. Place the kale leaves into the sauce pan and stir until all leaves are coated in olive oil. Cook kale for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the kale leaves are wilted slightly. Remove kale from the pan, set it aside and keep warm. 

Once the sweet potatoes are finished cooking divide them between two bowls along with the kale and tomatoes. Drizzle  2-3 tablespoons of tahini dressing over each abundance bowl and stir gently. Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy!

[leevesandberries]

Cherry & Peach Cobbler |GF & DF|

I love most any stone fruit that I can get my hands on so I have been in heaven each time I walk into the store and there are rows and rows of sweet cherries and peaches. You certainly do not need to do anything to make these summer fruits delicious but the crumble of almonds, cinnamon and sugar on top add just enough sweetness to rightfully call it “dessert”. Garnished with a spoonful of whipped coconut cream makes it perfection. 

Random links as of lately:

This movie.  Go see it. 

After watching that movie, watch this bit by Louis C.K.

Have you seen the latest season of Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee? No? Click here for that greatness.

Lastly, for some lovely sounds check out this guy.

Now for some summer stone fruit cobbler:

Ingredients: Serves 4

2 cups of diced sweet cherries, pits removed

2 large peaches, diced 

1/2 cup of almond flour

1/8 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed (or ghee!)

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. 

Place your cut cherries and peaches in a medium sized baking dish or bowl. Alternatively you could divide the fruit between four baking ramekins for individual cobblers. 

 In a medium bowl stir together the almond flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Cut in the cold butter or ghee until the largest piece of butter is the size of a pea. 

Spread the almond flour crumble mixture evenly over the top of the chopped fruit. 

Place the cobbler into the oven and bake for 20-30 minutes or until the top of the cobbler is browned and the fruit is tender. 

Optionally top with whipped coconut cream or vanilla ice cream. 

[leevesandberries]

St. Thomas | The Virgin Islands

I recently enjoyed a few days by the sea on the beautiful island of St.Thomas. With my best friend by my side (the gorgeous lady pictured above) it was a week filled with sun, salted wind and enough laughter to laugh me a lifetime.  I tried not to pick up my camera too much but from the few rolls of film I brought home these were some of my favorites. 

[leevesandberries]

A Bell-tower Amongst Buildings

His thumb briefly stopped at the edge of each record that he leafed through. This stopping made for a subtle rustling rhythm. He kept in time with this strange beat with every record he felt through. He stopped at the middle of the row and ran the calloused tip of his finger up and down the edge of the casing. It felt rough with wear but sturdy with age. His thumb ended on the top right corner of the record. It was still sharp after countless hours spent in his father’s attic and the moving it had done since then with it’s creaky legs and aging joints. A concentrated look came over his face as he pushed the edge into his thumb, just enough to feel the record push back. He grabbed the casing with his thumb and forefinger. Pulling the record out from the row made a soft tugging, producing a slight satisfying friction.

The white sleeve covering clashed with the dark glossy black of the vinyl. As he pulled them apart the two clung to one another like the hands of lovers saying goodbye, letting only the passive motion of the world move them apart. As he peeled them apart, he noticed dust from another sunny afternoon still clung to the slight etchings in the vinyl. The natural curving of the grooves made a precise enough cut for the small particles to band together and make a home. He then briefly brought his thumb around the curving of the disc, feeling the sharp, solid frame.

In the nearby kitchen, she reached up on her tip-toes to get to the row of glasses. The end of the counter rubbed against her waist as she grabbed the only remaining cups far in the back of the wooden cupboard. The glasses clinked onto the counter as she set them down making a sweet, high-pitched ting. A soft afternoon light spilled in from the kitchen window to her right warming her bare feet on the cool tile.

The smooth curves of the glass led the finger to an etching in the middle: “Made in 1929”. She turned on her heels to the fridge to her left and tugged on the stainless steel. It felt cool against her warm palm. She proceeded to grab her ingredients: simple syrup, crushed ice, gin, elderflower and lemon. Everything went out onto the cold marble counter in a line. The mixer, with it’s tall and odd curving shape, stood out from the line at the end like a bell-tower amongst buildings.

The lemon on the counter was brighter than usual, as if it had taken the time to polish itself before use. She grabbed it and rolled it her between her hands. Her knife drove right through the center, lightly scratching the counter underneath. She ran her finger along the outer rim of the halved fruit, feeling the hard rind give way to her thumb. She took the lemon half in her hand and held it above the steel mixing glass. She collapsed the lemon onto itself, pushing the rind and flesh together with force.

The liquids made a deep swoosh as they met, swirling and dancing together. The lid of the mixer clasped on, and the rhythmic shakes of the ice alongside the mixing of the liquid made for an odd, musical beat. They flung together from the top of the mixer to the bottom and back again. The rhythmic motion caused her to rock back on her heels, bobbing under the bright afternoon sunshine. Her right hand opened the wooden drawer next to her and dug amongst the silver for a small spoon. She dipped the face of the spoon into the liquid. The twirling of her wrist caused the liquids to press against the mixer and the center to dip inward, creating a cascading whirlpool of yellow, white and silver.

He pressed the “open” button into the frame of the player and the dust cover lifted. He placed the vinyl onto the gentle velvet bed of the record player. The two discs sealed together well, like a tired body and a warm blanket at the end of a workday.  Lifting itself eagerly, the hand of the player swung to the left to greet the disc.

The creak of the door caused his neck to crane to his right and knock his side into the side of the shelf. She brought the drinks in and placed them on the counter next to the record player. They made a clink as they hit each other on the way down. He reached for her hand, curling his fingers around hers in warm entwinement. Then they pressed play.    

Elderflower French 75 recipe here

[leevesandberries]

Salmon + Mango and Avocado Salsa

This is one of those meals that continually makes it’s rounds on my weekly menu. Especially when the days get longer and the sun burns hotter. The salmon is light enough to serve on a warm summer evening while the mango and avocado salsa aide in making the meal feel more substantial. The combination of the creamy avocado, sweet mango and spicy jalapeño go together so well and with such straight forwardness that it is almost impossible to mess up.

Recommended listening right here. 

Ingredients : Serves 4

1 lb wild salmon

1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

1 large very ripe mango, peeled, pitted and diced

1 large shallot or half a red onion

1 lime, juiced

1 jalapeno

2 medium ripe avocados

1/4-1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro (adjust to taste)

sea salt 

Method:

For the salmon:

1.  Preheat the oven to 275 F. Wash and dry your salmon then place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush the top of the salmon with the 1/2 tbsp of olive oil. 

2. Bake salmon for 15-18 minutes or until just opaque in the center. Meanwhile, prepare the mango avocado salsa.

For the salsa:

1. Finely dice the shallot/red onion then rinse and dry to remove too much of that astringent flavor if you are sensitive to that. 2. In a large bowl stir together the diced mango and lime juice. 3. Halve the jalapeño and remove half of the seeds, the more seeds you leave the spicier it will be. Finely chop the pepper and add to the mango mix. 4.Peel, pit and dice your avocados then add it to the mango mix along with the shallot, chopped cilantro and sea salt to taste. Stir gently. 

5. Once salmon is finished cooking, divide it between 4 plates and top each salmon filet with the mango and avocado salsa. Enjoy!

Mango & Avocado salsa adapted from Sprouted Kitchen’s cookbook.

[leevesandberries]

Hudson’s Two Year Old Photo Session

My sweet nephew turned two years old this week and to mark his second year on this earth I decided to do a lifestyle photo shoot of him.  I wanted to capture him in his element doing the things he loved to do like jumping on the bed, reading a book, playing with my camera gear and just being a cute little human. It definitely ended up being one of my favorite photoshoots I’ve ever done.