Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake

'Tis the season to indulge in summer squash. I'm a big fan of all squashes and summer squash lends itself so wonderfully to baked goods. Not to mention the bonus of the hidden veggie element in a sweet treat I give to my little ones. Sneaky mommy.

One of my favorite recipes is this Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake. Snack cake. Don't you just love those two words together? In my mind, that translates into "eat-any-time-without-feeling-guilty" cake. Ha!

Chocolate Squash Banana Snack Cake to make you feel better about eating cake in the middle of the day.

This yummy and easy cake utilizes any type of summer squash you have on hand.

Toasted Almond Bark

I have to admit, I am way behind on all things holiday. Until this week, putting up our Christmas tree was as far as I had gotten. Now that we're on break from our regular homeschooling routine, I'm huff'n to catch up. Enter, our favorite Christmas candy - Toasted Almond Bark.

This Christmas treat is a clear sign for our household that the holidays have arrived, and it's super easy to put together. Tons (and I mean tons) of toasted almonds get gently pressed into swirled dark and white chocolate. It still amazes me how something so simple and easy to make can be so gosh darn delicious!

Chocolaty Chocolate Dairy Free Ice Cream

Well, it's been a while, hasn't it? Did you miss me? I sure missed you. Lots going on in the Loverbee household this summer - new job, big move, diet overhaul, homeschool overhaul. More on these fabulous resets at a later date. But before our busy summer ends, I want to share one more ice scream recipe with y'all. This creamy treat is dairy free, intensely chocolaty, and a big favorite in our house.

Our favorite Chocolaty Chocolate Dairy Free Ice Cream!

We make this Chocolaty Chocolate Dairy Free Ice Cream all summer long - all year long, really.

Homemade Chocolate Fondant

I just happen to be one of those people that likes fondant. I know not everybody is with me on that one, but this Homemade Chocolate Fondant is particularly yummy. It's also fairly easy to make and so fun to use. I whipped up a batch to make dinosaur footprints to decorate goodies for my 6 year old dinosaur lover.

Dinosaur footprint decorations made out of Homemade Chocolate Fondant

Aren't they just adorable?

Red Velvet Pudding Pie

My poor heart shaped pan. It gets so little use. Sure, it gets to hold the occasional Valentine's Day heart shaped cake, but what kinda life is that? I thought I'd get it out for one more go before it's time to put away all the heart stuff and move on to Easter eggs. So, I put a pudding pie into it.

Make a Red Velvet Pudding Pie to put that heart shaped pan to good use.

A Red Velvet Pudding Pie, that is! This pie is super easy to make. A chocolate cookie crust gets filled with red velvet pudding, drizzled with hot fudge right from the jar, and topped off with puffs of Cool Whip and pretty valentine sprinkles.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies

We're still keep'n it easy over here in Loverbee Land. Also, I've got doctored cake mix on the brain as I've been baking through my Easy Gourmet Cupcake series. All that to say, cake mix cookies are how we're doin' this thang.

This recipe goes out to all my gluten free peeps. Hope you guys haven't been feeling left out. I'll be making you guys an easy gourmet gluten free cupcake soon, so stay tuned for that.

These Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies are rich with chocolate and autumn spice.

These ghoulish cookies are super chocolatey and full of fall spice. They're also crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside - just like a cookie should be. They're the perfect vehicle for Halloween decorating fun.




I doctored a gluten free chocolate cake mix with pumpkin and cinnamon to make these adorable jack-o-lantern cookies for the boys to decorate. Even in the midst of busyness I have to get my bake on, and the boys need stuff to decorate. That's how we roll up in this place.

I used cinnamon for a more Mexican hot chocolate kinda flavor. I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin pie spice with chocolate. But that's just me. If you love pumpkin pie spice, then go for it.




You'll need a jack-o-lantern pan to make these molded cookies. Wilton makes one you can order online. I suggest buying two pans. That way you can bake all your cookies at once.




First, beat butter, pumpkin, and the spice of your choice until well combined.




Beat in the chocolate cake mix until mixture resembles cookie dough.




Spray each mold with oil spray and scoop 1/4 cup of dough into each. Press the dough down into each face spreading evenly as you go.




Bake for 10 minutes and cool cookies completely in the pans. Then, remove them very carefully. I used a butter knife to help dislodge the edges.




Prep your decorating station by filling a couple of freezer bags with chocolate hazelnut spread and snipping off the corners for piping. Also, open up the candies for easy grabbing.




My guys had a blast decorating their jack-o-lanterns. I, of course, peeled off the candy to enjoy my cookie. 😉

Kids will love decorating these Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies.

Gluten Free Chocolate Pumpkin Jack-o-lantern Cookies
(makes 12 jack-o-lantern cookies)

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 tsp cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice
15 oz box gluten free chocolate cake mix (I used Betty Crocker's)
oil spray to grease cookie pan

To Decorate:
1/2 cup chocolate hazelnut spread
assorted Halloween candies
* For gluten free eaters, make sure your store-bought spread and candies read "gluten free" on the labels, or check the ingredients very carefully.

DIRECTIONS
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Using a stand or hand mixer, beat butter, pumpkin puree, and spice until creamy and well combined.
3. Beat in all of the chocolate cake mix until mixture comes together. It should look like cookie dough.
4. Spray your jack-o-lantern pan (just in the molds) generously with oil spray.
5. Scoop 4 Tbsp of dough into each jack-o-lantern face pushing down and spreading to fill the mold.
6. Bake for 10 minutes. They will look sunken in a little. That's okay.
7. Let cookies cool in pan completely and then remove them very carefully.
8. If you only have one pan, wipe it out and then spray again with oil spray before re-scooping.
9. When you're ready to decorate, spoon the chocolate hazelnut spread evenly into 2 Ziplock freezer bags, twist tops closed, and secure with twist ties. Snip 1/4 inch off of one corner for kids to use as glue to stick on their candies.

Movie Candy Chocolate Bark

I'm a magician. I turned candy into candy. How amazing is that? Just kidding. I did have a total blast making this Movie Candy Chocolate Bark for a very special outdoor family movie night.



We really wanted to take the kids to one of the only drive-in theaters left in our state this summer. Our baby girl's sleep schedule made that option a "no go", so we made our own drive-in.

Matthew backed his truck up to the house and he and the boys loaded it up with a mattress and couch cushion. He also moved the tv onto the porch and we were ready to roll. We watched E.T. What a great movie for an outdoor viewing. The boys had never seen it. We started the movie as the sun was setting and finished it up in the dark. Even Matthew thought he heard something in the bushes (hee, hee).

I used our favorite movie candy to make some extra fun chocolate bark for this special viewing. Chocolate bark is super easy to make. I melt the chocolate in the microwave, sprinkle with toppings, and refrigerate until firm. Done and done!



I made one just for the kiddos with a white chocolate base swirled with dark chocolate (to cut the sweetness) and topped it with mini M & M's, gummy bears, and rainbow sprinkles.



Mommy and Daddy's bark is a semisweet chocolate base swirled with melted peanut butter chips and topped with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups, Reese's pieces, chocolate sprinkles, and a little sprinkling of Kosher salt. Oh my.



I served up this bark in cute little cups with a side of popcorn and root beer floats to wash it all down. Hello sugar night - I mean, movie night.

Feel free to play around with this recipe subbing your favorite chocolate and toppings. Share what kind of movie candy combo you would use in the comment section.

Movie Candy Chocolate Bark

INGREDIENTS FOR GUMMY BEAR BARK
12 oz white chocolate chips or chopped white chocolate baking bars for the base
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped chocolate for swirling
1/2 cup gummy bears, maybe more
1/3 cup mini M & M's, maybe more
2 Tbsp rainbow sprinkles

INGREDIENTS FOR REESE'S BARK
12 oz semisweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars for the base
1 cup peanut butter chips for swirling
1 1/2 cups chopped Reese's peanut butter cups
1/2 cup Reese's pieces, maybe more
2 Tbsp chocolate sprinkles
a couple of pinches of Kosher salt

DIRECTIONS
1. Melt half of your base chocolate in the microwave in a microwave safe bowl for 15 seconds at a time, stirring after each heating.
2. Stir in the rest of the base chocolate until it's all melted.
3. Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out until it's about 1/8 inch thick.
4. Melt your swirl-in chocolate/peanut butter chips the same way you did the first batch. Then, pour it in lines over your base chocolate and swirl it with a butter knife.



5. Sprinkle on your toppings. I like to start with the biggest topping first and end with the smallest. Gently press the toppings into the chocolate. Feel free to adjust the ratios of toppings according to your taste and eye.
6. Refrigerate for a couple of hours or until completely firm. Then, break the bark apart with your hands.
7. I store my bark in a Ziplock freezer bag in the fridge and pull it out an hour before I want to serve it so it's not too hard.

Chocolate Mint Vegan Fudgesicles

Things are heat'n up, but we're keep'n it cool with batch after batch of homemade popsicles. Even Nora holds and eats her own popsicle now. We just can't stop with the popsicles over here. I think I may have recently made the same statement regarding nachos. Life is all popsicles and nachos up in here. Ha!



These fudgy lovelies are soooooooooooooooo chocolatey with a hint of mint that make them super refreshing. Yum, Yum!

They're also very easy to make. 

Coconut cream and milk get whisked together with cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and mint extract. Easy peasy lemon squeezy - or chocolate squeezy, in this case.

You need to put a little muscle power into whisking the mixture together so that all of the cocoa powder gets incorporated. You can also use a blender if you don't mind washing it out.


I like to pour my mixture into a pitcher or container with a spout for easy pouring and filling.








Also, be prepared for the smell of chocolate and mint to fill the air sending family members poking their heads into the kitchen to see what's up. 😉



Freeze these pops for 4 hours or until completely frozen.



We were all happy campers with this batch of pops. 

Until the next batch,
Mama Loverbee

Chocolate Mint Vegan Fudgesicles

INGREDIENTS
1 can coconut cream
1 can coconut milk
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
a dash of salt
3/4 to 1 cup granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS
1. Whisk together all of the ingredients starting with 3/4 cup of sugar in a large bowl until cocoa powder is completely incorporated. You can also use a blender.
2. Taste and add in more sugar if you like.
3. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze 4 hours or until completely firm.

In Search of the Perfect Picnic: Wildflowers II

We went back to see the wildflowers last weekend. This time we took my mother and sister-in-law with us. As is my way, I was a woman on a mission to create the perfect picnic menu. Rather than working to impress my picnic guests my goal is always to indulge them and to make them feel super special and super loved. I'm pretty sure I reached my goal this time around. 😉

I wanted light and refreshing flavors with hints of herbs for this springtime picnic. I settled on a menu of BBQ Rosemary Lemon Chicken and three picnic salads - Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad, Chickpea and Red Cabbage Picnic Salad, and Honey & Lime Marinated Fruit Salad.

I also made a batch of Oatmeal Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and a pitcher of Lavender & Vanilla Earl Grey Iced Tea. These cookies are a gluten free recipe and bake up soft but are full of chocolaty flavor. The iced tea is gorgeous - a real picnic treat.

I set up shop in the trunk of our car tailgate style.

On top of that, our guests showed up with some beautiful pink grapefruit that I incorporated into a lemonade with honey. I love honey with grapefruit. It turned out super yummy. I had to stop myself from gulping down half the jug right after I made it. I'm gonna have to put the rest of those beauties to good use.

We drove out to the wildflowers only to find that most of them had already died off and the fields were starting to turn brown.

There were still a couple of varieties left, and the wildlife did not disappoint.

We encountered a baby rattle snake crossing the road as soon as we got out of our cars. This is a zoomed in pic. We didn't actually get that close. Apparently, baby rattle snakes aren't good at controlling their venom so they are more dangerous than adult rattlers. Trust me, we kept our distance.

The boys became entirely preoccupied with catching big fat tadpoles out of the creek.



We also found a stink bug to follow around for a while.

My sister-in-law brought us a lovely nature press book. The boys were more interested in catching tadpoles than picking flowers, but I put the press to good use anyway.

So, that wraps up our wildflower picnics for the year. Now on to summer picnics. 😉

BBQ Rosemary Lemon Chicken

INGREDIENTS
The strained juice of 3 large lemons
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp dried rosemary or 1/4 cup fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
12 piece pack of chicken legs and thighs

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine marinade ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.

2. Place chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour in marinade. Seal bag with as little air as possible and massage marinade into chicken pieces.
3. Marinate in fridge for 1 to 2 hours.
4. Grill over a medium flame about 30 minutes or until fat is rendered and chicken is cooked through, turning a few times. If your grill has hot spots, make sure you rotate your chicken pieces accordingly.

Honey & Lime Marinated Fruit Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 cups strawberries, sliced
1 pint raspberries
1 pint blackberries
4 kiwis, peeled, halved longways, then sliced
1 cup green grapes, halved
4 cuties, segmented
1/2 fresh pineapple, diced
1 Tbsp honey
1 lime, juiced

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine fruit in a large bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and lime juice. Add to fruit and toss gently to coat.
3. Refrigerate for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.

Creamy Cucumber Dill Salad

INGREDIENTS
2 large cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion or 3 shallots
1 cup Greek yogurt
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/4 tsp dried dill

DIRECTIONS
1. Combine last six ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk together.
2. Add cucumber and onion and toss to coat.
3. Refrigerate covered for a few hours to allow flavors to meld.

Chickpea & Red Cabbage Picnic Salad

(Original recipe from Simply Recipes)

INGREDIENTS
1 small head red cabbage, shredded
1 16 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup sliced green olives
3/4 cup shredded or shaved Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp fresh ground pepper

DIRECTIONS
1. Place first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together last 4 ingredients. Dump into veggie bowl and toss to coat.
3. Taste and add additional salt, pepper, and/or vinegar according to your taste.
4. Refrigerate a few hours for flavors to meld.

* I personally think a little bit of sugar whisked in to the dressing would make it even better. I wouldn't mind a little red onion either. I have yet to try it.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Original recipe by Beaming Baker)

INGREDIENTS
2 Tbsp flax seed meal
6 Tbsp water
1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups oat flour (I made my own by grinding whole oats in a food processor and then measuring out the flour)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
Heaping 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips + a Tbsp or two to press onto tops

DIRECTIONS
1. Make flax eggs by whisking together the flax meal and water in a large bowl. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, stir together dry ingredients.
3. In your flax bowl, add the rest of the wet ingredients and stir well.
4. Dump dry ingredients into wet and stir well to combine.
5. Fold in the heaping 1/2 cup chocolate chips, cover and let rest 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
7. Use a 2 Tbsp cookie scoop to scoop cookie dough onto baking sheets. Flatten cookies with your fingers to desired flatness as they will not spread much during baking. Press in a couple of additional chocolate chips on top of each cookie.
8. Bake about 10 minutes.
9. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer gently onto a cooling rack.

Lavender & Vanilla Earl Grey Iced Tea

INGREDIENTS
5 bags Earl Grey tea
1 Tbsp dried culinary lavender
8 cups of water divided
2 tsp vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
1. Place tea bags and lavender in a heat proof bowl or jug.
2. Boil 4 cups of water and pour over tea. Let steep for 20 minutes.
3. Strain into pitcher or jug, add vanilla and 4 more cups cold water. Stir to combine.
4. Refrigerate until cold.

Pink Grapefruit & Honey Lemonade

INGREDIENTS
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup honey
2 cups water
4 or 5 lemons, juiced
2 large pink grapefruit, juiced
2 to 4 more cups water

DIRECTIONS
1. Make the simple syrup. In a small saucepan heat sugar, honey, and 2 cups water over low heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring frequently. Cool.
2. Strain your citrus juice into a pitcher or jug.
3. Stir in 2 cups of your honey simple syrup.
4. Stir in 2 cups water.
5. Taste and add in more water and/or simple syrup to taste.

CUPCAKES!!!

It's been so long since I've baked a batch of cupcakes. I know, me? How could this be? Total twilight zone over here. Matthew and I have been trying to lower our carb intake. We're staying away from breads and sweets mostly. I rarely make desserts at all, except for birthdays. The closest we get to dessert these days are homemade protein bars.

This week I broke down. I miss cupcakes so much.


"I'm so sorry for desserting you cupcakes. Don't be mad. Let's be friends again." Get it? "Desserting" you? Ha!

Giving way to craving I chose to make a gluten free black bean brownie cupcake. Whew! That's a mouthful. My husband questioned my choice. He knew I had been craving cake and wondered why I chose such a healthy option. Well I can't give up entirely after all. 

I used a recipe I modified a while back that I always pull out when I'm trying to eat healthy.



This brownie batter comes together in the food processor. It's not quite as good as a regular brownie or chocolate cake, but it scratches the itch without annihilating my diet - although the frosting might just do me in.



It also bakes up a little strange. Maybe strange is the wrong word to use. The tops look and feel a little hard and shiny. Just use the toothpick test to tell when your brownies are done. It should come out almost clean with a little brownie stuck to it, but not liquidy looking.



This cupcake is a mini spumoni brownie cupcake. I tossed some chopped pistachios in the brownie batter, made a sweet cherry frosting, used up some leftover chocolate ganache drizzled on top, sprinkled pistachio dust on top of that, and topped it with half a maraschino cherry. A lot going on here, I know.



It's hard for me to make plain cupcakes. I do enjoy them, I just have a hard time making them. You could say I have a problem.



This was my little "helper" in the kitchen while I baked. I had to strap her into her stroller while I used the oven. She is always right behind me. Love her!!! She even matches the cupcakes.

Spumoni Brownie Cupcakes

GLUTEN FREE BLACK BEAN BROWNIE CUPCAKES:

INGREDIENTS

2 large eggs

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained well

¾ cup cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

3 Tbsp vegetable oil

¼ tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp xanthan gum

¼ cup chopped pistachios

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a mini cupcake pan with mini cupcake liners (makes about 24).

2. Dump eggs in the food processor and scramble.

3. Add all other ingredients (minus pistachios) and process until batter is smooth.

4. Stir in pistachios.

5. Fill each liner with a small cookie scoop or about 2 Tbsp worth of batter.

6. Bake about 12 to 18 minutes until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. You want to see a little brownie stuck to it, but not liquidy batter. Check after 12 minutes.

7. Cool completely.

SWEET CHERRY FROSTING:

INGREDIENTS

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

4 cups powdered sugar

3 Tbsp maraschino cherry juice

½ tsp almond extract

1 to 3 Tbsp additional maraschino juice for consistency

DIRECTIONS

1. Beat butter for 30 seconds.

2. Beat in 2 cups powdered sugar until creamy.

3. Beat in 3 Tbsp maraschino juice and almond extract.

4. Beat in 2 more cups powdered sugar.

5. Scrape down bowl and check consistency of frosting. If it's too firm add another ½ Tbsp maraschino juice, beat, and check again. Repeat if necessary.

6. Beat 3 minutes until light and fluffy.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

INGREDIENTS

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

¼ cup cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Place chocolate in a heat proof bowl.

2. Heat cream in a clear microwave safe cup or bowl in the microwave for 1 minute or less watching it carefully until it just starts to bubble.

3. Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.

4. Stir until all chocolate is melted and ganache is smooth. Let sit 15 minutes before using.

PUTTING THE CUPCAKES TOGETHER:

To put the cupcakes together you'll need about 12 maraschino cherries cut in half and about a tablespoon of pistachio dust from when you chopped your pistachios for the brownie. Just use the tiny pieces/particles that are left over.

I used a large round tip in a snipped ziplock bag to pipe puffs of frosting on top of the mini cakes. Then I used a tiny round tip in a snipped ziplock bag to pipe ganache on top of the frosting. You can also drizzle the ganache with a spoon. Sprinkle with pistachio dust and top each with half a cherry cut side down.

I ended up taking these cuties to our church potluck so I wouldn't eat them all. When they were all gone the boys asked if I could make some more. I guess they miss cupcakes too.