Happy Birthday(s) to me + a recipe

Today is not only my birthday, but also the official launch of my author website. Woohoo!
It has been a challenging year - watching my 1-year old learn and grow while figuring out how to be a stay-at-home/work-from-home mom and wife, receiving a diagnosis of two autoimmune diseases and overcoming the resulting anxiety disorder, making significant lifestyle and diet changes requiring a total mindset shift, grieving the loss of my dog, and continually reading and writing and learning throughout it all. 

The writing communities I am a part of have pushed me to meet my writing goals for the year, including an author website. This has been on my To Do list for at least a year, and I am thrilled that it has finally come to fruition. Having a website is like dressing for the job you want and is a big step forward along my writing path! 

To celebrate, I am sharing my birthday treat, because I've noticed a certain affinity among KidLit writers...sweets! I've given up refined sugar and gluten (among other things) and haven't had traditional candy, cakes, pastries, etc. since August. The recipe below for Cocoa Buttercups is considered paleo and has no refined sugar. Best of all, it is rich enough that one is completely satisfying, okay, maybe two! ​

RECIPE: COCOA BUTTERCUPS

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup nut butter
• 1/4 cup (or more to taste) baking cocoa powder 
• 1/4 cup (or less to taste) honey or maple syrup*
• splash of vanilla extract
• Optional: sea salt, cayanne pepper, cinnamon, peppermint extract/oil

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Line a muffin tray with paper or silicone baking cups.
Blend ingredients in a blender and pour directly into muffin tray. 
Freeze tray for 20 minutes.
Remove Cocoa Buttercups from freezer and refrigerate.
*Agave nectar, brown rice syrup (fructose free), and date paste may be alternative sweeteners but I have not tested them with this recipe. Read this post for one viewpoint on sweetener comparison.

As the year comes to an end, I look forward to sharing more about my writing goals and accomplishments of 2016, as well as the tremendous support I've received from the KidLit community.