Crust:
1 1/2 cups pecans or walnuts
1 cup pitted, packed medjool dates, chopped
Filling:
1 1/4 cup almond milk
1 1/2 cups cashews
1/3 cup raw honey
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp melted coconut oil
2 cups mixed berries, set aside
(raspberries, blackberries, blueberries)
Crust:
1) In a food processor, grind the nuts and dates together into a slightly sticky dough. Add 1 -2 tsp water if needed.
2) Press into the bottom of a 6” springform pan, or into a pie plate.
Filling:
1) Blend the first four ingredients until completely smooth. Add the coconut oil. Continue blending until incorporated. Transfer 1 cup of this mixture into a bowl.
2) Add the berries to the remaining cream in the blender and pulse the berries until they start to break down, keeping some texture. Transfer the berry mixture into a bowl.
Assembly:
1) Pour half of one cream onto the crust. Pour the other half on top. Continue, pouring the first cream on top, followed by the second.
2) Now, with a knife, swirl the two creams together into a pretty pattern.
3) Chill the cake for a few hours, or until firm.
1 package organic boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup plain organic yogurt
1 med lemon, juiced
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
Marinade in a ziplock bag at least 4 hours or overnight. Grill to perfection and enjoy!
Grilled Buffalo Drummies:
Ingredients
This chicken marinade has a very fresh and tasty zing to it. It is a perfect chicken marinade for those that are adverse to spicy dishes. Also, one of the most recommended chicken marinades for the summer months.
Ingredients:
Method:
ice cube trays & place toothpicks in the center after covering with plastic wrap. Freeze until solid.
Ingredients:
2 cups organic buttermilk
3 tbsp. organic butter
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. xanthan or guar gum
2 ½ cups oat flour- you can make this by grinding oats in your blender.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a large baking sheet with grapeseed oil spray.
2. Beat butter, baking soda and xanthan/guar gum on medium speed until well blended.
3. Wisk in buttermilk until mixture is frothy.
4. Fold in oat flour.
5. Drop by tablespoon onto greased (grapeseed oil spray) baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Or 'green eggies' as my daughter calls them. Here is a great way to sneak in some greens and make it fun for kids. Simple ingredients: Free range eggs, raw organic spinach, sea salt, pepper and diced onion (optional). Mix them together in your blender then scramble.
possible)| 1. | Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish with butter or grapeseed oil spray. Arrange half the bread cubes in the dish, and top with cream cheese cubes. Sprinkle 1 cup blueberries over the cream cheese, and top with remaining bread cubes. |
| 2. | In a large bowl, mix the eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and syrup. Pour over the bread cubes. Cover, and refrigerate overnight. |
| 3. | Remove the bread cube mixture from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). |
| 4. | Cover, and bake 30 minutes. Uncover, and continue baking 25 to 30 minutes, until center is firm and surface is lightly browned. |
| 5. | In a medium saucepan, mix the xylitol, arrowroot, and water. Bring to a boil. Stirring constantly, cook 3 to 4 minutes. Mix in the remaining 1 cup blueberries. Reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes, until the blueberries burst. Stir in the butter, and pour over the baked French toast. YUM! |
1-In a heat resistant, glass measuring cup (pyrex), place the coconut oil. Fill a small saucepan with a few inches of water, and place the glass measuring cup in it. Heat on the stove top until the coconut oil is mostly melted (the coconut oil should be room temperature, not hot. This will protect it’s raw benefits).
2-In a food processor using the regular blade, add the melted coconut oil and the rest of the ingredients and mix until well combined.
3-Place enough plastic wrap or parchment paper in a loaf pan to cover the bottom and sides of the pan. Scrape your fudge “dough” into the loaf pan, and fold the plastic wrap or parchment paper over the top of the fudge. Gently press down, to even out the thickness of the fudge (you want it to be about 1/2 inch thick, it will cover probably about 1/2 of the bottom of your loaf pan). Take out the fudge, carefully wrapped up, and place in the freezer or refrigerator until it has set up. In the freezer it only takes about 20- to 30 minutes.
4-Cut into small squares, and enjoy!
few times, then add raisins. Add vanilla extract (might need to add a touch of water too if it's not mixing well).
Organic Dry Roasted Peanuts, Organic Palm Oil, Organic Cane Sugar, Sea Salt.
Compare that to a commercial brand, such as, Jif or Peter Pan and you get:
MADE FROM ROASTED PEANUTS AND SUGAR. CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: MOLASSES, FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (RAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), MONO AND DIGLYCERIDES, SALT. (JIF)
Peanuts, Corn Syrup Solids, Soy Protein, Sugar, Salt, Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils (Cottonseed and Rapeseed)Minerals (Magnesium Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Iron Phosphate, Copper Sulfate)Vitamins (Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid) (Peter Pan Reduced Fat Version)
Can I get a... ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
First off, it was hard for me to locate online the ingredient lists, especially for the Peter Pan brand. Like they have something to hide maybe? And if 'choosy' moms choose Jif... then oh my. What does choosy mean again?
Throwing this out there.... maybe parents will be offended... BUT most kids LOVE peanut butter right? PB and J, a well loved, kid friendly/favorite lunch (don't even get me started on commercial jelly and wonderbread- or commercial wheat bread for that matter. Or some organic wheat breads for another matter....ok, focus Dana, focus!). Do any of us parents really know what these ingredients are in our child's Peter Pan peanut butter??? Let me let you in on my knowledge. Take out EVERY SINGLE INGREDIENT, MINUS THE PEANUTS, and you should feel good about feeding this to your child. I once heard someone's very bold statement that feeding a child unhealthily should be considered child abuse. This sure pissed a lot of people off! But think about this, if we do not know what is in the food we feed them, or know what these ingredients do to their/our health, can we argue this accusation? 'Food' for thought.
So! Here is my solution. A frugal, healthy and easy solution. Seriously. $2. Five minutes. You can do that for your little munchkin, can't you?
Homemade Peanut Butter
3 Cups Peanuts
3 Tbsp Coconut Oil
Combine in blender. Blend for a minute or two, then scrape with a spatula. Repeat. And Repeat again.... and again... until your desired consistency. Store in fridge. Makes about 2 cups.
Add raw honey for a sweeter peanut butter.
And eat that yummy goodness straight from the spoon and bask in your healthy treat.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer, beat butter and honey in large bowl until blended. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Mix in 3/4 cup sour cream, bananas and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and beat until well blended. Transfer batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until top is golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely on rack. (Can be prepared 2 weeks ahead. Cover cake and freeze. Thaw before continuing.)
Beat remaining 1/2 cup sour cream, powdered sugar/xylitol, vanilla and cream cheese in large bowl until well blended. Spread frosting over cooled cake.
This recipe was given to my Husband by a patient of his in Green Bay, Katie Nelson. (www.katienelsonmusic.com). It is really delicious! I've heard that baking with quinoa flour is tricky, as it is a little bitter tasting, but this cookie was moist and almondy, and the frosting was creamy and delicious- a wonderful combination! You could, of course, mix in another flour if you felt it was bitter tasting, but our entire family just loved them! Thank you Katie!
6 free range eggs
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
¼ cup coconut milk, a mix of the cream and liquid
6 Tablespoons raw honey or other sweetener
1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract
½ teaspoon orange /lemon zest (I used orange, hence the title)
½ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder (aluminium free)
½ teaspoon sea salt
juice of ½ medium orange or lemon or other
Directions
Take your eggs out of your refrigerator and allow them to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt coconut oil. Whisk the eggs, coconut milk, honey, vanilla and orange zest together.
Combine coconut flour, baking powder and sea salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. Pour coconut oil into batter and mix until all lumps are gone.
Pour the batter into your greased pan and place on the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.
After the cake has cooled a bit, but is still warm, poke holes all over the top with a fork. Juice the orange /lemon half right over the whole cake, making sure to evenly distribute the juice.
Coconut Topping
Ingredients
½ cup coconut oil, melted in a glass bowl
2 teaspoons of raw honey
1 packed teaspoon orange zest
½ teaspoon organic vanilla extract
pinch of sea salt
1-2 tablespoons unsweetened flaked coconut
Directions
Mix all ingredients into warm coconut oil. Place in fridge just to cool down a little, maybe 5 or 10 minutes. Stir well and pour 'glaze' over warm cake, letting it soak in.
Eat slowly, and enjoy your little taste of gluten free heaven.
from gidgetgoeshome.com {adapted from ReadyMade Magazine} (I changed this recipe just a little to suit my taste)
makes just over a quart
Ingredients:
For the spiced apples:
For the ice cream:
1. Combine the spiced apple ingredients in a medium-sized saucepan. Cook the apples over medium heat, stirring often, until the apples are tender and all the liquid is gone, about 10 minutes. Let the apples cool a bit and then place them in the fridge to chill.
2. In a small bowl, mix 2 tablespoons of the milk with the starch.
3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, combine the remaining milk with the cream, 1/2 c. sugar, brown rice syrup and 1/2 t. vanilla. Bring the milk mixture to a boil and cook over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves, about 4 minutes. Off the heat, gradually whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Return to a boil and cook over moderately high heat until the mixture is slightly thickened, about 1 minute.
4. Gradually whisk the hot milk mixture into the cream cheese until smooth. Whisk in the salt. Set the bowl in the ice water bath and let stand, stirring occasionally, until cold, about 20 minutes. (or just do it all in the saucepan)
5. Pour the ice cream mix into an ice cream maker (strain if desired) and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the chilled spiced apples to to the mixture in your ice cream maker during last minute of mixing and churn until just mixed. Pour into airtight container(s) and freeze for at least 2-4 hours.
