Cold weather = warm food (unless you are in camp raw which is cool too… literally!) This weekend just gone was one of those delicious weekends where I stayed in doors, snuggled and nourished myself (maybe a little too much). I was also over come by the most overwhelmingly beautiful sense of LOVE literally bursting out of my heart… and this feeling appears to be here to stay!! I’m not sure what was going on with the winter solstice and the super moon but something really awesome happened to Joe and I this weekend… we meditated a lot and we shifted…something.. I’m not sure what but things are decidedly more beautiful than ever before… and I am so very grateful…!! And Joe bought a heater on the weekend so I am warm and toasty both inside and out!

Now on to the food… Saturday was baking day. The baking chat started during the long lie in on Saturday morning and crescendo-ed at around 3pm when Joe and I took turns in the kitchen – him making gluten free onion bhajis (his choice) and me, the most delicious and guilt free Banana, Date and Walnut loaf.

Now, I know what I’m like (and this instance proves my point). If I bake… I eat. If I don’t bake… I don’t eat… so I tend to save the baking for special occasions or perhaps for the day that I grow up and gain some self control. However, if you are like me and are all about living consciously, this little recipe is more or less kind to your body (even if you eat the whole loaf like I may or may not have done…hmmm).

Gluten Free Banana Bread (also dairy free, refined-sugar free – YAY)

Ingredients:

Wet

10 ounces of peeled banana (about 3 largish bananas)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (3.0 ounces) (I exchanged this for some chopped dates… no idea how many – just freestyle)
2 room temp eggs
3 tablespoons full fat canned room temp. coconut milk
-1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon liquid stevia (I didn’t bother with this)

Dry

80 grams sorogum flour (3/4 cup)
100 grams brown rice flour (3/4 cup)
60 grams tapioca starch (1/2 cup) (I didn’t have any so just slightly upped the other 2 flours – to be honest, you can probably just go with one gluten free flour and it will do the trick)
1 teaspoon baking power (I didn’t have any so just went with the baking soda)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon of psyllium husk
1 tablespoon cinnamon (I used way more as I LOVE cinnamon)
1/4 teaspoon salt (good Himalayan pink salt please)
1 cup chopped walnuts (small pieces)

How To:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. In a bowl add in the banana and mash it around for a bit with a fork until it’s a wet mixture. Then add in all the other wet ingredients and mix everything with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) for 45 seconds on medium speed.
2. In another bowl, add in the dry ingredients (except the walnuts) and whisk everything together until everything is well incorporated.
3. In small batches, add in the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and continue mixing with the hand mixer. Mix until everything is well incorporated.
4. Add in the walnuts and stir by hand.
5. Fill the bread pan with batter and top with chopped walnuts and coconut sugar
6. Bake for 50 – 55 minutes on the middle rack (use the knife test to check the middle). I baked mine for 55 minutes.
7. Allow the bread to cool for about 15 minutes, then carefully turn it out and allow it to continue to cool on a rack.

Store in airtight container at room temp for 3 days (Or eat all of it my day two and tell your boyfriend that you took it to your yoga teacher training for the students as an excuse!! Oops).

A big thank you to http://www.thetastyalternative.com for this awesome recipe xx I hope you love it as much as I did… YUM xx

LOVE (and gluten free goodness) SJ xx