kismet & happenstance

So this week I decided to actually try recipes I've pinned on Pinterest. I have so many recipes saved (of which approximately 50000 are variations of eggs poached in tomatoes) that I figured it's time I start actually *making* them. I'm also determined to have healthy snacks around the house (with few to no grains and no dairy - these tend to be my dietary crutches). 

This week, I decided on a bit of a theme: nuts and mango, so I surveyed my food board and found a couple of recipes I could try with mostly stuff I have on hand. The recipes I chose are from a couple of my go-to ladies: Sarah Britton (from My New Roots) and Sarah Yates (from A House in the Hills). They both post healthy recipes, often without grains or dairy. I highly recommend anything they post!

So here we go. 

First up:

Sarah Britton's (of My New Roots) Life-Changing Bread

Verdict:

DELICIOUS. 

FILLING. 

EFFECTIVE (if you catch my drift)

I didn't use a silicone loaf pan (they drive me bonkers), but lined my regular baking pan with parchment paper. Instead of flipping it over mid-baking, I just pulled it out of the pan and set it on the rack, paper and all. Turned out great. I also found that keeping it in an airtight container leaves the whole situation... clammy. So I just topped the container with foil so that some air can get in, and I think it's a better storage solution.  I've been toasting and eating a slices as snacks throughout the week, and Boyfriend has even taken some up to work with great success. I sent my mom the recipe and I think she'll adore it. Cannot sing the praises of this recipe enough. I imagine that you could make it a sweet bread by adding bits of dried fruit or savory by adding garlic or tamari. A great base recipe. 

Next:

Sarah Britton's Mango Cashew Sunshine Bites

Verdict:

Delicious. 

Easy. 

I think I over-soaked the mango a bit, because it was kind of squishy, but I'm putting their container in the refrigerator, uncovered, to see if they dry out a bit. Even so, they still held together well enough. Also forgot to add the lime zest, but I didn't miss it. I'll add it next time. Oh - and I did end up adding some honey because I think I added a smidge too much salt. 

Last:

Sarah Yates' (of A House in the Hills) Mango Popcorn Balls

Verdict:

Delicious. Messy. 

I think I might have done this recipe a little bit wrong. Mine came out all kinds of soggy (but still awesome). I did have to do some substitutions (as I don't have any brown rice syrup). Instead of 3/4 cup of brown rice syrup, I did a 1/2 cup of honey + 1/4 cup of ginger syrup. That may have been why the liquids were so runny - maybe brown rice syrup is thicker. Anywho, they're very good, albeit sticky. They're crazy sweet, so they're definitely a dessert item or a snack for someone with a serious sweet tooth. 

Overall, a really good recipe week. I've tried recipes from both of these ladies before with pretty good success. I can't recommend their blogs enough - everything is fantastic! 

I'm thinking of making this a regular feature, so (maybe) keep tuned? :-)

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend. 

xo

all photos from My New Roots or A House in the Hills