Valentines Wreath

I've fully embraced the whole front door wreath thang the Americans have got going on (is it more of a 'thing' in the UK now?). This is my 5th wreath since moving stateside.  I'll be making one for July 4th next! haha!!

I had been wasting time on Pinterest trying to find inspiration for a Valentine's wreath, but despite the billions of wreath ideas out there nothing appealed to me. I think it may be  because wreaths are inherently a little naff?! Oh well, I'm going for the kitsch angle of naff. Then this gorgeous chandelier from The House that Lars Built popped up on my Insta feed...(follow her if you like bright shiny things like I do)

A trip to the craft store to purchase one wire heart (floral dept) and x3 boxes of paper straws and some at home hot glue action my wreath was made.  Do you decorate for Valentine's day? Are you a fan of wreaths? 

My girls & I love it of course, husband yet to comment.  Valentines Day is a kitsch holiday anyway, right?!  

Cinnamon and raisin sweet potato cookie bites - grain, gluten, sugar and dairy free. Paleo & AIP

When I come across an AIP compliant biscuit/cookie/muffin/baked item I Pin it. I'm amassing quite a collection now and getting the hang of baking AIP style. The results are different from regular baking & even straight paleo, but not necessarily in a bad way and there are a few tricks to ensure success.  I end up adapting most recipes to suit my tastes or tweaking to make even more yummy! This recipe is a tweaker from Healing Family Eats which is a great website for those following an AIP diet.

Cinnamon and raisin sweet potato bites

1 cup of mashed sweet potato (1 medium sized sweet potato)

1/2 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut

 1/3 cup of softened coconut oil 

2 tbs molasses

4 tbs coconut flour

1 1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup raisins

Oven 325F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Puree the sweet potato and shredded coconut in a blender to smooth out the mash and break up the coconut. Add in the rest of ingredients, except the raisins, and pulse until well combined.  Stir in the raisins. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop out the dough or roll balls of dough in your hands and place on the baking sheet.  Be warned the mixture is quite sticky!  Flatten the balls by pressing down lightly with your hand.  They don't spread out much during baking. Bake for about 30mins. The bites will crack a little and slightly brown at the edges.  Leave to cool completely on the tray, they will be quite fragile (it helps to make them on the small side). Store in the fridge to keep them firm.  I made 15 mini bites. 

Sweet potato morphed into a cookie format. How good is that? Does anyone know another version of sweet potato cookies?