Happy Monday Everyone. After a Fabulous adventurous weekend with my husband and some time with our adult children, I am feeling a case of the Mondays. Friday evening, my husband Paul and I went to a Winery nearby to listen to a wonderful performer, Andy Cavanaugh, and enjoy a wine slushie and glass of wine. We then continued our date night at home with time by the fire in our backyard.

On Saturday, my husband, son and I enjoyed a long hike and an exhilarating run (which I hadn’t done in quite awhile). The rest of the day we were enjoying a picnic lunch in the beautiful afternoon weather on the back deck and swimming in the pool.

Sunday, the hubby and I went for a beautiful kayaking adventure on a nearby lake. That evening, I made a yummy pumpkin bundt cake with ganache topping.

Today, I’m willing this migraine to go away. We have had so much rain this summer with up and down temperatures. Lately, the heat has been getting tougher, yet still bearable so far. On the days I get migraines, the best thing for me is to nap in a quiet space, with the blinds closed and when needed, a headache hat from the freezer. It depends on the type of migraine it is. There are times when a caffeinated beverage like a cup of coffee or a caffeinated tea helps, but only if nausea isn’t associated with it. When nauseated, a homemade icee drink of electrolyte beverage and ice crushed together helps a lot. Today was a balance of these elements to rid myself of this headache. I did not have any screen time or my usual chores done, but you have to listen to what your body needs and take care of yourself always, especially when under the weather or stressed or in pain.

I am beginning to feel more myself and wanted to share with you the bundt cake I made this weekend. It was delicious with a cup of tea. Have a Lovely week ahead!!

Pumpkin Bundt Cake with Chocolate Ganache:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups gluten free all purpose flour

1 1/2 cups almond flour

1 cup Swerve brown sugar replacement

1/2 cup Swerve granular sugar replacement

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 stick (1/2 cup) grass fed unsalted butter, room temperature

2 Tbspns coconut oil, melted and cooled

1 tsp salt

2 tsps baking powder

2 tsps vanilla extract

1/2 tsp almond extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

2/3 cup almond milk, room temperature

2 Tbsps canned pumpkin

Chocolate Ganache Ingredients:

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate

2 oz. almond milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 Tbsp stevia

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease a bundt cake pan with coconut oil.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl, place the sugars, butter, oil, salt, baking powder, and both extracts. Beat with an electric hand mixer on medium until smooth, light and fluffy- about 3 minutes. Blend in canned pumpkin until just blended in.
5. Beat eggs one at a time until each one just blended in well, until all eggs blended in well and it’s light and fluffy.
6. Blend in the milk and flour, alternating each one, a little each time, ending with flour. Scoop the batter into pan and level out with back of spoon.
7. Bake cake for 50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in a few spots in the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool it in pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
9. Remove cake from pan and cool more.
10. While cake is cooling, make the ganache.

Ganache Directions:

1. Break up the bar of chocolate & place chocolate in a glass bowl. Separately, heat up the milk in a pan, until very hot and steaming but do not bring to a boil.
2. When very hot, pour milk over the chocolate and let sit on top of chocolate for 3 minutes.
3. With a rubber spatula, stir the milk and chocolate together and then stir in the vanilla and stevia.
4. Tip: If the milk isn’t hot enough to melt the chocolate, you can place that bowl over a small pan (smaller than the bowl) with water boiling to help the chocolate melt. Stir with rubber spatula. When all melted, carefully remove bowl with oven mitts. Spoon ganache over the top of the bundt cake.

-Serve cake slightly warm or when cooled. This cake is not super sweet, but has a nice flavor and is nice and moist. Enjoy!