Category Archives: Breads

Soda Bread ~ Two Ways

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It’s still winter here…but I’ve made a pact with myself just like Miss C. over at The Kitchen’s Garden not to complain about it anymore.

With the weather being so…delightful…I’ve had some time to go through many of my cook books and food magazines. I think I’ve probably bookmarked at least 300 recipes to experiment with.

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The Dried Cherry & Walnut soda bread (on the left) is adapted from a new cook book I found on the book store’s discount table. (Hers called for raisins, allspice,  and is not GF or DF) It’s hot pink and called, “Baking Style – Art, Craft Recipes” by Lisa Yockelson. It’s kind of Martha Stewart-esque. Cool, somewhat fancy recipes, and a lot of tasty things that go well with tea or coffee. I’ve put a little sticky note next to 34 of her recipes that I want to try to de gluten and de dairy, so you’ll no doubt be hearing her name again in the future.

The Raisin & Cinnamon Soda Bread (on the right) with Cinnamon Maple Butter is a recipe that I created. It’s similar to any basic soda bread recipe you’ll find, but of course gluten-free and dairy-free with more moisture added. I like both of the recipes, but if you forced me to choose between the two, I would have to go with the Raisin & Cinnamon. It’s more moist and probably better as a breakfast bread or snack bread and of course… spread with the heavenly Cinnamon Maple Butter. The butter is probably what tipped the scales for me.

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The Mourning Doves like to keep an eye on me when I’m in the kitchen. Right now as I type this there are six of them on the deck along with several Dark Eyed Juncos, a big Black Bird with a blue neck, a Black Capped Chickadee, and a Red Winged Black Bird. I do enjoy the   birds!

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They aren’t the least bit disturbed by Chloe, either. That probably really irks her.

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Dried Cherry and Walnut Soda Bread

2 Cups Artisanal Flour Blend

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 teaspoon Table Salt

3/4 teaspoon Nutmeg

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

3 Tablespoons Dairy Free Butter

3/4 Cup “Buttermilk” (measure almond milk and add the juice of 1/2 lemon, let rest for 5 minutes)

1 Large Egg Yolk

1 1/4 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Cup Dried Cherries

1/2 Cup Walnuts, roughly chopped

Raw Sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I use convection).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, and sugar into a food processor (or a large bowl and whisk) and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and pulse a few times to distribute. Empty the flour mixture into a large bowl and set aside. Measure the almond milk, add the lemon juice, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and stir with a fork.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (don’t stir yet!), add the dried cherries and chopped walnuts and fold with a spatula just until incorporated and all of the ingredients are wet.

Scoop out onto the parchment lined baking sheet and form lightly into a well domed shape. Sprinkle the top with raw sugar and with a sharp knife, cut a cross on the top of the bread.

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Bake for about 60 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack.

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Delicious with tea or coffee.

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Raisin & Cinnamon Soda Bread with Cinnamon Maple Butter

3 Cups Artisanal Flour Blend

1 Cup Gluten Free Rolled Oats

4 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher Salt

1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

6 Tablespoons Dairy Free Butter

1 3/4 Cups “Buttermilk” (Measure almond milk, add the juice of 1/2 lemon and let rest for 5 minutes)

2 Eggs

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Zest of 2 Clementines

1 1/2 Cups Raisins

More Ground Cinnamon & Sugar For Sprinkling On Top

*Cinnamon Maple Butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees (I use convection).

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Measure the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar into a food processor (or a large bowl and whisk) and pulse a few times to mix.

Add the butter and pulse a few times to distribute. Empty the flour mixture into a large bowl and add the Clementine zest. Set aside. Measure the almond milk, add the lemon juice, and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir with a fork.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients (don’t stir yet!), add the raisins and fold with a spatula just until incorporated and all of the ingredients are wet. This batter will be much wetter than the Cherry & Walnut recipe above.

Scoop out onto the parchment lined baking sheet and form lightly into a well domed shape. Sprinkle the top with ground cinnamon and granulated sugar. With a sharp knife, cut a cross on the top of the bread.

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Bake for 70 minutes, remove from oven and allow to rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to cooling rack.

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Slice, and serve warm with the Cinnamon Maple butter.

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Blueberry Raspberry Corn Muffins

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Good morning!

I have an incredibly easy breakfast for you today.

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Blueberry Raspberry Corn Muffins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees/ Makes 15 Muffins

1 Package Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Cornbread Mix

2 Eggs

1 3/4 Cups Almond Milk

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

3/4 Cup Frozen Raspberries

Raw Sugar

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Combine cornbread mix, eggs, and almond milk in a large bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Fold in blueberries and raspberries. Line muffin tin with papers and fill to top. Sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 25 minutes.

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Wild Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Muffins

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IMG_0215[1]Well, it appears as if my camera issues are beyond my expertise. Really irritating. I’ve cleaned it, oiled it, and fiddled with all of the doo dads…and it still won’t take pictures. I’ve fixed it twice in the past, but I guess the inevitable has finally happened. I will have to pay someone a ridiculous amount of money to take my camera for a ridiculous period of time to get it back into shape. So until my camera is returned to me, I will have to live (and so will you) with pictures from my iPhone.

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Now that we’ve all come to grips with that…

I’ll give  you yet another reason why I love New Hampshire. It is full of quaint beautiful towns, as you’ve seen in my previous posts. And with quaint beautiful towns, come really interesting local and neighboring state goodies. The shops are full of locally made crafts, jewelry, homemade jams and jellies, maple syrup, goat’s milk caramel, local milk, eggs, cheese, and cream, furniture, hand-made soaps, lotions, candles, pottery, quilts, scarves…I could go on and on. I love that I can support my local community as well as the neighboring New England states when I shop. New England takes pride in its communities. You can see that by how beautifully the towns are maintained and decorated, by the genuine kindness of the people that inhabit them, and by the support that is given to local craftsmen, jewelers, and other crafting gurus.

While my mom and son were here visiting and we were out exploring, they wanted to check out a cheese shop in Brattleboro, Vermont. Something I don’t get all that excited about, because of course, if I ate the amount of cheese they consumed while perusing the cheese shop, I wouldn’t want to get out of bed for at least the following three days. But, as with most of the quaint shops in New England, there were plenty of other goodies for me to see.

This little 7 ounce jar of Wild Maine Blueberries (touted The Caviar of Maine), has added its delectable flavor to our  pancakes and the muffins I made this morning. It went a long way. It’s just beautiful, little blueberries in white grape juice. Nothing freaky added and no artificial sweeteners. Yum!

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I’m on a buckwheat and coconut oil kick. Have you done your research on both? The benefits of coconut oil are particularly amazing to me. If you haven’t already watched this video on the benefits of coconut oil for Alzheimer’s disease, please do so. It will leave you in awe. Truly amazing.

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According to organicfacts.net, coconut oil has all kinds of benefits. “The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial and soothing properties.” Crazy, huh? And so simple to add to your diet.

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Did you know that buckwheat is a fruit seed? It’s related to rhubarb and sorrel. That of course, makes it gluten-free and a fantastic substitute if you and certain grains don’t get along. Not only can you bake with it, but you can eat it as a porridge as well. Something I wasn’t aware of until I researched the benefits.

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(buckwheat seed photo courtesy of smallbites.andybellatti.com)

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But there are also some other very interesting benefits of buckwheat. It’s high in manganese, magnesium, copper, and zinc. It also contains all 8 essential amino acids. It’s high in fiber and studies have shown that it slows down the rate of glucose absorption making it a healthy choice for people with diabetes and blood sugar issues. It has been shown to have significant cardiovascular benefits for post menopausal women, it helps prevent gall stones, breast cancer, and when you combine the whole “grain” benefits of buckwheat and fish oil, it’s been shown to be highly protective against childhood asthma.

When everyone decided that carbs and fats were bad for us and mass quantities of protein or even just living off of vegetables and raw foods were good, we didn’t take into consideration the benefits of certain grains and seeds and fats that would be missing from our diets. Carbs and many fats are not bad for you, in fact, according to the information above, they can be very beneficial.

Combine the benefits of buckwheat, coconut oil, a little protein, the benefits of banana (vitamin A, iron, phosphorous, potassium, high fiber), the benefits of blueberries (high in fiber, the highest in any fruit in antioxidants, and 1/4 of your daily need of vitamin C), and you have a pretty tasty and pretty healthy muffin. You could probably even replace the brown sugar with a grated apple or applesauce.

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Wild Blueberry Banana Buckwheat Muffins

Preheat convection oven to 350°

3 organic free range eggs

2 overripe organic bananas

3 Tablespoons wild blueberries

1 Cup dark brown sugar, packed

1/2 Cup organic coconut oil, melted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon organic cinnamon

1 1/2 Cups Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour

1/2 Cup buckwheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Lightly mash the bananas ( I like mine chunky) in a medium bowl. Add the eggs, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, cinnamon, and blueberries.

In another bowl add the flours, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt. Whisk. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold with a spatula carefully until fully combined.

Fill muffin papers almost to the top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 23-25 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Chicken Tetrazzini

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I used to make turkey Tetrazzini every year with Thanksgiving and Christmas turkey leftovers. Of course that was prior to going gluten-free and dairy-free and those Tetrazzini dishes included a lot of cream and probably three kinds of lovely cheese, along with gluten bread crumbs.

Our mornings are chilly now and that always gets me thinking about comfort food. I love fall and even winter (as long as it snows a lot! Yes you read that right…) and I look forward to baking pies, roasting things, and having my house smell like comfort food.

I don’t even know what was on television in the bedroom this morning while I was getting ready, but I heard the word Tetrazzini and thought, “YES!”. I had forgotten all about Tetrazzini! When you’re allergic to dairy you kind of get used to not thinking about cheesy, creamy, delightful, comfort food. Luckily, with more and more people becoming aware of food allergies and more people being tested, the whole food world is opening up with new products and new ideas for those of us that can’t eat traditional things.

I couldn’t remember how I used to make it exactly so I Googled Tetrazzini. Honestly, what did we ever do without the internet? After reading through several recipes it all started coming back to me and I realized that each recipe was different. Really different. So I just winged it and did what I thought sounded good. Giada De Laurentiis puts peas in hers. I thought that sounded good too and I could have sworn I had frozen baby peas, but no such luck. Her recipe also had about 30 ingredients. Seriously?

I just went with what I had on hand and it was fantastic. Total comfort food. So creamy and delicious, even I was shocked! Ahhh… the satisfaction of another traditional meal tackled and made into something that can fit my needs! Remember the movie Bruce Almighty where Jim Carey says, “It’s goooood”? For some reason that just popped into my head. Odd the things that rattle around in there…

I love having a good (or “gooood”) challenge. This recipe was challenging because I didn’t know if it would really work. That always bugs me a little because it’s not cheap to be dairy free and gluten-free. If it doesn’t turn out, it’s horrible to watch all of that $$$ going straight into the trash bin. Plus, dairy free cheese is a little weird sometimes. Occasionally it can make the texture of something really unappealing. Also, there’s a lot of steps. I was taking pictures in between steps and different parts of the recipe and not cleaning up, so my kitchen looked like a bomb went off.  But as soon as I had everything in the oven, it all cleaned up quickly and believe me…all the steps and all the prep work to get it into the oven was worth every-single-bite.

Another recipe challenge overcome! Hmmm…what’s next?

Chicken Tetrazzini

Bacon Drippings, or olive oil if you don’t have drippings on hand

2 Chicken Breasts, cooked & cubed or shredded into large pieces

1 Medium Onion, diced

About 6 Crimini Mushrooms, sliced

About 1 Tablespoon Fresh Thyme Leaves

About 2 teaspoons Dried Thyme

1 Head of Roasted Garlic

About 1 Tablespoon Bragg’s Seasoning

About 1 Cup of White Wine

3 Cups of Almond Milk

About 2 Cups Gluten Free Chicken Broth

1 Cup Diaya Cheddar Style Cheese

1/4 Cup Buffalo Mozzarella

1/4 Cup Vegan Parmesan

Dairy Free Butter

About 1/3 Cup Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour

Gluten Free Bread Crumbs, seasoned with oregano, basil, garlic powder, vegan parm, & kosher salt

About 12 oz. of Tinkyada Gluten Free Pasta, cooked aldente

1.  In a large skillet melt about 2-4 Tablespoons of bacon drippings. Add chicken breasts and brown on both sides just until they are done. About 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove from pan and set aside to cool.

2.  Add the chopped onion and mushrooms and saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms begin to brown a bit. Add the thyme leaves. Add salt to taste.

3. Add the wine to de-glaze the pan and continue to saute over medium-high until the wine evaporates. Remove mixture to a large bowl. Set pan aside.

4. Dice or shred chicken and add to the bowl. Add the cheeses, roasted garlic, and Bragg’s.

5. Using the same pan, melt about 4 Tablespoons of dairy free butter. Add the flour and whisk together.

6.  Add the almond milk and chicken broth whisking quickly as to not allow lumps. Cook over medium-high until the mixture begins to thicken. Mine became very thick so I added a bit more chicken broth. You want a medium thick consistency. Salt & pepper to taste, add the dried thyme, set aside.

7. Cook pasta according to directions. I removed mine 2 minutes prior to “done”. Drain.

8.  Lightly coat a 9×11 baking dish with olive oil spray or dairy free butter.

9. Add the pasta and sauce to the large bowl of other ingredients. Toss well and pour into the baking dish.

10.  Coat the top with gluten-free bread crumbs (see below), and dot with butter.

11. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for about 30 minutes until sauce bubbles. Serve with gluten-free french bread.

* I always toast (in the oven) and throw all uneaten or stale bread into a bag in my freezer. It makes it very easy whip up bread crumbs or croutons when I need them.

For bread crumbs I just add the toasted bread to a food processor. Add dried herbs, kosher salt, and  just a bit of olive oil. Pulse until it turns into crumbs and the herbs are incorporated. For this recipe I added basil, oregano, garlic powder, kosher salt, vegan parmesan, and added a drizzle of olive oil at the end so it would all come together a bit.

Finally Time For a Home Cooked Meal

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Life has been absolutely crazy around here. Tony is traveling and changing time zones twice a week, and the house viewing traffic is picking up dramatically. That last part is a good thing, but it puts us in the position of having to be able to leave our house quickly. That makes it very hard to cook a real meal.

This is a very unhappy Chloe, stuck in a crate at my mom’s house while we wait for people to finish a walk through at our house. She’s not quite as happy as Romeo and Abigail to be at Grandma’s house.

I’ve been trying to make this dish since Thursday and finally on Sunday night, even though we were completely exhausted after having five viewings of our house over the past three days, I forced myself to make a decent dinner. Please forgive the pictures…I wasn’t going to even blog about it but Tony asked if I was taking pictures and was sweet enough to run upstairs and get my camera. The recipe will also be one of those “about this much” recipes, unfortunately. I didn’t write anything down, but you all are so smart and amazing in the kitchen, I know you won’t have any trouble making your own version.

Waiting at Grandma’s house for “kitty, kitty” the new kitten to come out and play with her. Penelope, my mother’s other cat is just around the corner growling and hissing at Chloe in the crate.

Lately we’ve been living on Jimmy John’s un-which sandwiches, black bean salad, gluten-free organic hot dogs and chili, cereal more cereal, peanut butter toast, and Red Robin’s California chicken sandwiches. Did you know they now carry gluten-free buns and will make your fries in a separate fryer from gluten items? We are addicted. Next time I eat one I’ll take a picture for you. And the tartar sauce (which is gluten-free & dairy free)…so delicious and addictive I should probably just be slathering it on my thighs because I’m sure that’s right where it goes after it leaves my mouth.

Tony stayed home an extra day today to take advantage of a motorcycle track day. The kind of track day that makes me cringe and I have to remind him that I really don’t want to know how fast he went and how many people had to be hauled off in an ambulance. He left early this morning, so this is what a lazy Sunday looks like for some of us…not me of course, I have a whole list of things to do!

Yes, we allow them to lounge on the furniture…

I’m used to cooking whole meals at least four days a week and baking something delicious at least twice a week. But lately, our new way of  living on “whatever is easy and doesn’t make the house smell weird” is getting to me. It’s leaving me feeling unsatisfied and rather unhealthy.

So last Wednesday while I was lying in bed wide awake at 2:30 in the morning because we’ve had a weird rash of car break-ins in our neighborhood, the recipe for Italian Sausage & Pesto Roll Ups was born. Maybe a little bit of fear does help with creativity? Or maybe it was the fact that I was sleeping with my gun and that enabled me to calm my mind enough to think about food. Either way, I also had to figure out when exactly I could find the time to actually make the recipe that was making my stomach growl and getting me excited for real food.

I tried Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to make this meal and it seemed like the dinner God’s were against me. And even though we had two more showings on Saturday, I managed to squeeze in a small nap and muster the energy to cook a nice meal on Saturday night, throwing caution to the wind and not caring if our house smelled like garlic and pesto on Sunday morning. I even managed to make an easy Kalamata olive & garlic loaf.

Italian Sausage & Pesto Roll-Ups

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees

About a pound of gluten-free, dairy-free Italian Sausage

Hot Pepper Flakes, I like my sausage spicy

Homemade Vegan Pesto

1 Large Block of Sheep’s Milk Cheese, I buy mine in the white and blue container at Trader Joe’s

About 2 Tablespoons Fresh Oregano

About 2 Tablespoons Fresh Basil

Freshly Ground Pepper

About 1/2 Cup Diaya Mozzarella Style Shreds

About 2 Tablespoons Dairy Free Parmesan Style Cheese

1 Jar Ready-Made Pasta Sauce, I used Newman’s Marinara, or homemade of course

1 Package Gluten Free Lasagna Noodles, cooked aldente (follow pkg instructions), rinsed, and separated immediately

Cook pasta, rinse, separate, and set aside. Fry the Italian sausage and pepper flakes (to your taste) until done, drain fat, set aside.

Drain the sheep’s cheese and place the entire block in a mixer. Add the fresh herbs, other two cheeses, and the fresh herbs. Mix on medium until it comes together and begins to look somewhat sticky. I was also going to add 1/2 cup chopped spinach to this mixture but forgot!

Oil a 9×9 inch square baking dish with olive oil. Spoon a small amount of sauce over the bottom of the dish. Set aside.

Lay out a lasagna noodle on your work surface. Spread either with a knife or the back of a spoon about 1 to 1/2 Tablespoons of the pesto along the entire noodle. Add about 2 Tablespoons (or so) of the cheese mixture to the end of the noodle nearest you, add about 1 1/2 Tablespoons of the sausage, and roll up, tucking in any filling that falls out of the sides as you go. Place the roll upright in the prepared pan. Continue until you have used all of your fillings.

Once the pan is full, pour the remaining sauce over the top, spreading with a spoon. Sprinkle with a little more of the mozzarella style cheese and the parmesan style cheese. Oil a piece of aluminum foil and cover.

Bake in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes covered, remove foil, and bake for 10 more minutes.

Kalamata Olive & Garlic Loaf

With this recipe, I made two small plain loaves and 1 medium olive and garlic loaf. I simply separated the dough and took out the plain loaves first, then added the ingredients for the olive and garlic loaf.

1 Box Gluten Free Pantry French Bread Mix (make using directions on back of box)

Kalamata Olives, about 15 sliced in half lengthwise

Garlic Cloves, about 8 sliced in half lengthwise

About 1 1/2 Tablespoons Dried Oregano

1 Egg for Brushing

I wasn’t in the mood to run to the basement to fetch my french bread pan, so I simply lined a baking sheet with parchment paper. It works just fine, but the loaves spread out a bit.

Depending on how you want to separate the dough, do that part first, leaving the amount of dough that you want to use for the olive and garlic loaf in the mixer. Then, add the olives, garlic, and oregano and mix until combined.

Dollop and spread it on the baking sheet or in the french bread pan, brush with whisked egg, and cover with oiled plastic. Allow to rise for about 40 minutes in a warm place

Bake for about 30 minutes (I use convection). You may need to cover lightly with foil if it begins to brown too quickly.

A Slice of Life – My Corner of The World

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Yesterday was heavenly. I decided to set aside my “to-do” list and just really focus on enjoying the day. I spent the majority of it outside. As you may have read (a thousand times) in earlier blogs, we have been waiting a very long time for summer weather. Well, it’s finally here and I want to soak up every possible minute of it. Plus, sometime soon, our life is going to get very busy, hectic, and even more stressful than it is right now. I want to enjoy our little “sanctuary” in the backyard before we move.

I sat out in the yard, sunned myself, and read for a while. This is one of the books I’m currently reading:

Have you ever read her books? They are based out of South Carolina in the “low country”. I love books about the south. They are amazingly comfortable and soothing, and make me daydream about living in a rich, flamboyant, atmosphere filled with southern tradition. I haven’t read a book of hers that I didn’t like.

While I was reading, I also sipped on this, because it was quite hot yesterday…in the low 90′s. I just simply added a scoop of the Lemon Sorbet I made a couple of days ago to a glass full of spring water and ice. Wonderfully refreshing!

After I read for a while I spent more than two hours on the phone with my husband’s sister, Alysia, catching up on life in my neck of the woods and hers. We don’t talk all that often, so when we do, it’s usually a phone marathon.

After I hung up, I thought, “I should probably do a load of laundry and run upstairs and make the bed…” But I stopped myself. Nope! Today is a NON “to-do” list day. You will go outside and enjoy the weather!  And I did.

I ran across this bible study on the internet and it arrived two days ago. I really love to learn about why we are the creatures we are and how our bodies work. It’s good to learn about yourself and feed your mind and soul. But I don’t have to tell you that, do I? I think that people who blog already have that figured out. We love to learn from others who blog, see what they are experiencing in their lives, and share a bit of our own world.

I already know quite a bit about PMS and Perimenopause after working for a Naturopath for several years. Plus, I somehow was flung into the whole perimenopause thing when I was nearing my 39th birthday. Fun, fun. I love to arm myself with knowledge. I don’t like to treat symptoms without knowing the why’s and how’s and how I might manage things naturally. I bought this study because it was the first time that I had seen someone approach such a touchy subject for so many women (92% of women suffer from severe PMS and Perimenopause symptoms) that not only dealt with the medical aspects but also with the spiritual. We are feeling, emotional, living, beings after all. It only makes sense.

As I lounged in the yard I looked over at Abigail and for the millionth time, I reminded myself how thankful I am for loving pets in our life! They ask for so little and want to give so much. Abigail is always right by my side, just patiently waiting to see what I will do next, ready to assist me in her sweet little way and follow me from task to task.

Romeo was inside, lounging in air-conditioned comfort. He had quite enough of the bees chasing him around.

So basically, that was the majority of my day. Yep, I sat in the yard and soaked up the summer pretty much all day long. 

A little visit with our son in the evening also blessed my day. He warmed my heart yesterday when he told me he wanted to “surprise” his Dad with a little something. My husband has already taken the job back east so he has been having to travel extensively. Life is stressful when you have to change time zones twice a week and are only home for about a day and a half. We have a motorcycle trailer that needs to be sold before we move, but it needs a little work. Of course my husband’s hectic schedule doesn’t allow for a lot of time to be spent on things like that. And that type of thing is way out of my realm of expertise. Brandon wants to spruce it up for him and put it up for sale as a surprise because he knows how busy his Dad is. I thought his suggestion was loving and thoughtful and frankly, it made an almost perfect day, absolutely perfect.

He’ll be over today to work on it. So I will pause for now…and add a bit more later today. I plan on making this day an extension of yesterday. A little cleaning and “to-do” list things here and there maybe, but otherwise, I’m just going to embrace the day and take it a minute at a time and see what it has to offer.

This was my breakfast this morning. A simple breakfast to go along with my easy-going day. It’s half of an Udi’s bagel with organic almond butter and my Aunt Judy’s (she’s really my husband’s aunt, but I have adopted her as my own) unbelievably delicious, homemade, strawberry jam.

I also made an organic vegetable salad to munch on for the next couple of days. The weather is hot and as much as I know I need to start whittling down that organic meat in the freezer…I just haven’t been feeling like making a big to do about dinner for me, myself, and I. A salad is just right.

Getting the trailer ready…he’s so resourceful! How do you just “know” how to wire things and what to buy and how to do it?

He has always been a fixer and loves to create things in the garage. When he was little he built a sprinkler system in his sandbox. Seriously. All the tubing and everything. All he had to do was screw a hose to it and it was a sprinkler system for his sand box army base.

He was born with computer knowledge and has been doing computer repair work on the side for years…and he just turned 20. When he was in the 5th grade, my paper shredder died. He took the entire thing apart, rewired it, put it back together and it worked like new. Since he was in middle school, he has been our computer and technology guru. He wires things for us – new lighting, cable, he was the one who set up our entire television system with all of it’s boxes and speakers and whatever it’s called, while I stood there handing him tools that he pointed to, that I didn’t even know the names of.

Two weeks ago, he completely rewired and re-plumbed my mother’s sprinkler system. He’s amazing…if I do say so myself. And believe me, he didn’t get these skills from his father and I!

Like a lot of young people, he’s a carb addict. So to thank him for his hard work on his Dad’s trailer, I baked him a delicious pan of corn bread that he could slather with honey and butter. You can find the recipe here. 

This is the cornbread I was telling you about this morning, Smidge. To. Die. For.

Sometimes we just absolutely need to set certain things aside temporarily so we can truly appreciate life. We all have our responsibilities but let’s be truthful, a lot of things that take up our time can really be saved for another day.

The little things in life are sometimes what have the most impact. Like taking the time to enjoy the weather and read in your back yard. Learning something new. Being thankful that you have a loyal pet by your side to love on. Sitting in the garage for the afternoon and watching your “grown” son work on a surprise for his Dad. Just taking life minute by minute instead of rushing, rushing, rushing… and instead, being thankful for every little thing and savoring each slice of life.

Women, Power, & A Breakfast That’ll Knock Your Socks Off

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What is it about “those” women and power trips?

You know exactly the type of woman I’m talking about. The type of woman that makes us look at our close girlfriends and say, “She’s one of those”. There’s usually one on every committee, the grumpy one, the one that is such a stickler for rules that it surpasses logic, the one who always talks first and has the last word, the one who doesn’t like anyone’s ideas but her own, the one who the entire world revolves around, the one in every church bible study that thinks it’s a personal counseling session, that one overly enthusiastic, volunteer at your child’s school who the school loves, but the other mothers all roll their eyes at because they know what she’s all about. Heaven forbid you give them a title of head volunteer, president of such and such, or leader, then you’re really in for it.

The problem though, is that they’re sneaky. They volunteer for things that others don’t want to do. The things we think to ourselves, “There’s no way I’m doing that, I’m too busy and I don’t want to take on that responsibility.” And then… we find ourselves stuck with a highly annoying know-it-all that succeeds in being the thorn in everyone’s side.

You know the one?

What is it that we are lacking as women, that some of us need to have this control and this hunger for attention? This need to irritate everyone around us, even if it causes us give the rest of the female population a bad name? How is it that some of us are so focused on what we are doing that we don’t even notice how our behavior and attitude affects the people around us?

How it alienates us from each other?

We all like to have control over our lives. But when that need for control takes over your personality and turns you into a self-serving, unpleasant person, it spreads like a dark cloud around everyone you’re with. Something that those personality types don’t seem to understand…most people don’t like people like that. Sad really. Because their behavior just further alienates them from the very people from whom they are seeking attention.

What do we do about that? 

Well, I certainly don’t have all the answers, or even a few, but I can tell you what I did.

I woke up this morning. Did my morning routine and went straight to the kitchen and started baking. Some of my best work comes when I’m frustrated or annoyed and need to let off a little steam.

I’d probably be much thinner and in better shape if I liked to work off steam by running 10 miles or getting in touch with my inner calm self by doing 2 hours of yoga…but such is life. I prefer baking, cleaning, and gardening when I have a thorn in my side.

Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Bread

4 Tbsp. Earth Balance Natural Butter Spread

1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup Almond Milk,warmed but not hot to the touch

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

2 tsp. Pure Vanilla

1 1/2 Tbsp. Yeast, dissolved in the warmed almond milk

1 Cups Sorghum Flour

1/2 Cup Mama’s Almond All Purpose Gluten Free Flour

2 Cups Potato Starch

1/2 Cup Tapioca Flour

4 tsp. Xanthan Gum

4 tsp. Baking Powder

1 tsp. Sea Salt

Filling:

2 Gala Apples, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)

Juice of 1 Lemon

About 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup Dairy Free Butter

1 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar

3 Tablespoons Cinnamon

Pinch of Kosher Salt

Frosting:

1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

About 3 Tablespoons Dairy Free Butter

1 1/2 teaspoons Almond Extract

About 2 teaspoons Cinnamon

Almond Milk for Thinning

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer on high until thoroughly combined and fluffy. Warm the almond milk lightly, not hot and add yeast. Stir and let rest while you’re measuring the flours, etc. The yeast/milk is ready when it is bubbly on top. About 5 minutes or so.

Measure the sorghum flour, almond flour, potato starch, tapioca flour, xanthan gum and salt in a medium bowl and whisk together. Set aside.

To the creamed mixture, add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides once or twice. Add milk/yeast mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the flour and scrape down bowl. Mix on high until thoroughly combined (about 1-2 minutes). Dough will be sticky.

Next, flour a piece of parchment paper and scoop dough out onto paper. Flour the top of the dough and pat down. Flour a rolling-pin and roll the dough into a 24×15 oblong “ish” form.

For the filling, place the butter in a small dish and stir until softened enough to spread with the back of a spoon. Spread the butter carefully over the entire surface of the dough.

Sprinkle the apples as evenly as possible over the butter. Crumble the brown sugar over the apples evenly and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Carefully slice the dough into 4 rows lengthwise and 6 across. Spray a non-stick bread pan lightly with oil.

Stack the first row (lengthwise) on top of the second row. Stack the third row on top of the fourth row. Taking two slices at a time, hold the pan on end and begin stacking dough two pieces at a time until all of the dough is in the pan.

Spray a piece of plastic wrap with oil and cover the dough loosely. Allow to rest in a warm place for 30 minutes. Then remove plastic and bake in a preheated oven for 40 minutes. (I use convection.)

While the bread is resting, prepare the frosting.

Melt butter in a small bowl, add sugar, almond extract, and cinnamon. Whisk with a tiny whisk or fork until combined. Add almond milk a teaspoon at a time until it reaches drizzling consistency. But not too thin!

Remove bread from oven (you can even do a happy dance like I did, because I was so thrilled it turned out), allow to rest for 5 minutes. Slide a knife around the edges and carefully remove from pan onto a plate or board.

Drizzle with frosting and serve. Can be served warm (unbelievable) or at room temperature (still unbelievable).

(Megaphone photo courtesy of SheMarketer)

Welcoming Spring

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I am happy to announce (probably not as happy as you), that you will no longer have to hear me whine about our horrible weather.

What was seemingly an infinite winter, has finally disappeared to wherever winter goes and spring has arrived. We spent the day enjoying every bit of the weather we could with a picnic at our favorite park and a nice walk with the dogs. It was so wonderful to soak up that sun and feel the warm breeze! And I can’t tell you how thrilled I was to hear that tomorrow is even supposed to be better than today!

Because we can finally see a light at the end of the winter tunnel, it won’t be a big deal if we get a little more rain here and there. The hope of sunny days ahead and the taste of today and tomorrow will tide us over, and in a couple of weeks I’ll be planting herbs on the deck and filling pots with flowers. Before we know it, we’ll be relaxing in lawn chairs, sipping cocktails in the backyard, and watching the sun set – one of our favorite weekend evening past times.

In honor of spring’s arrival today, I made us a lovely dinner full of spring colors. Did I also mention it was simple? Incredibly simple, fresh, and delicious. Perfect for the day after all of that Easter indulgence.

(*Serves 2) 

Pesto Bruschetta

6 Pieces of Left Over GF French Bread (This recipe makes 2 loaves. We always eat one fresh and then I freeze the second for bruschetta.)

6 Tablespoons of Vegan Pesto (When making this, I always try to make a double batch so there is plenty to freeze and use whenever I need it.)

About 12 Organic Cherry Tomatoes

About 2 ounces of Sheep’s Milk Cheese

Freshly Ground Pepper

Olive Oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the bread and place on a baking sheet. Broil until toasted. Spoon about 1 Tablespoon of pesto on each piece of bread. Slice tomatoes in half and distribute evenly. Crumble sheep’s milk cheese evenly. Grind pepper on each piece and drizzle with olive oil. Place under broiler when vegetables are placed on grill. Remove when tomatoes are softened and cheese begins to bubble and brown. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  

Vegetable Kabob & Grilled Zucchini

2 Small Organic Zucchini

1 Organic Red Bell Pepper

1 Organic Yellow Bell Pepper

2 Small Organic Sweet Onions

Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Garlic Powder

Dried Parsley

Cut peppers and onions into large chunks and place in medium bowl. Remove ends of zucchini, slice lengthwise and add to bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, garlic powder and dried parsley, toss until thoroughly coated. Add to medium-high grill about 6 minutes after the chicken has been added. Add the zucchini a few minutes after the peppers and onions have been on the grill. It cooks very quickly.

Simple Grilled Chicken

2 Organic Chicken Breasts

GF BBQ Sauce

Rice Vinegar with Herbs

Rinse and dry chicken breasts and place in a medium bowl. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup BBQ sauce and 1/4 cup rice vinegar. Stir to coat. Marinate for 20 minutes. Place on medium-high grill 6 minutes before adding the vegetables to the grill.


Boule – Another Way

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A couple of weeks ago I decided that I would spend the next few months doing a bread “series”. Trying out new recipes, converting gluten recipes, and trying to find a variety of gluten-free breads that we can all like. The “series” has been a little on the slow slide, but only because there are only two of us and we can only eat so much bread. My goal is to try at least one new bread recipe a week, so hang in there.

Boule, is from the French for “ball”. It is a traditional shape of French bread resembling a squashed ball. It’s a rustic loaf shape that can be made of any type of flour. So I’m thinking that if I took this bread recipe and shaped it into a loaf, it would no longer be Boule. But that’s OK, we can call it anything we like. I decided today while I was eating it with my chicken salad lunch, that it reminds me a lot of the heavier loaves of artisan bread I used to buy in the bakery. Do you know which ones I’m talking about? Similar in texture and weight as the Asiago cheese bread, Kalamata olive loaf, etc. I didn’t really care for it with my salad. It was too heavy but would be fantastic with a nice Merlot, a good olive oil, aged balsamic, and roasted garlic. Will have to put that on my list for our Saturday snack nights in the back yard.

These mini Boule were made from the leftover dough from the other day. It keeps in the fridge for up to 7 days just fine. Another excuse to have fresh-baked carbs right at your fingertips!

Mini Boule

Boule Dough

Olive Oil

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Thyme

Kosher Salt

 Drizzle a little olive oil in a baking dish or oven proof skillet. Brush to coat bottom of pan. Line with parchment. Scoop out a handful of dough at a time, forming a loose ball (or Boule) and place in the pan starting in the middle. Continue until all dough is used. (If you make a fresh batch of dough, you will have more mini Boule than I did. Mine was leftover dough after making a larger Boule.)

Drizzle each mound with olive oil, sprinkle with Kosher salt, herbs, and cover lightly with plastic wrap to rest in a warm place for 90 minutes.

 At the 70 minute mark, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees and add a small oven proof metal pan or skillet to the bottom of the oven.

When oven is heated, remove the plastic wrap from the bread, place the bread on the middle rack, and add 1 1/2 Cups of hot water to the pan in the bottom of the oven. Close the door quickly.

Allow to bake for 40-45 minutes. You can eat them warm, which I love to do. Who doesn’t love warm bread from the oven? But the ideal texture and taste is achieved when the bread has cooled completely.

Crusty Boule

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All I can say is thank goodness people have gone down this road before me! Isn’t that true in a lot of areas of life?

When it comes to gluten-free bread, things can get tricky. If you’re new to the gluten-free world you may or may not know, depending on how much experimentation you’ve done, that gluten-free bread doesn’t react like gluten-full bread. The positives to this of course, are that you don’t feel like you’re going to die after you eat it, and with a little bit of trial and error and work, you too can enjoy your bread just like the rest of the world. This is great news for those of us who aren’t fine with a low carb or no carb diet. Egads…I understand watching calories and trying to stay fit…but no bread? No way!

I ran across the “Bread in Five” couple’s website, and I’m so thankful I did. I had seen them on morning talk shows but wasn’t aware that they also do gluten-free breads. I used their exact recipe for the gluten-free Boule, as it is always best to try the original first and then experiment the second time around in case you run across kinks the first time. So I will send you over to their website for the recipe and directions.

Although the recipe remains the same, I did change just two things in the actual making of the bread. They really love to use a 5 quart plastic container to mix their bread doughs.  I guess it makes for easy storage. By the way, this recipe makes several small loves. It can be refrigerated for up to 7 days, and you can take as much out as you like each day for fresh bread.

The only problems I ran across with using the 5 quart container is that I’m short. Yes, there it is out there for all the world to know. Not horribly short, but short enough that having to reach above the 5 quart container made it very awkward without a step stool. I also didn’t like the use of a wooden spoon as a stirring stick…because evidently, not only am I too short, but I’m a weakling too. So I chose to pour all of it into a large glass bowl and mix it with my hand the old-fashioned way. The glass bowl can still be stored in the fridge and it doesn’t change the dough in any way.

So, without further ado, I present to you Artisan Bread In Five’s – Gluten Free (and dairy free) Crusty Boule.

Prior to its 2 hour rest.

Only a half hour into its rest…see those gaps and holes in the dough? That’s a very good sign that things are doing what they should.

After its 2 hour rest. It has risen significantly and smells yeasty and fabulous!

A large grapefruit sized piece getting ready for its 90 minute rest.

You might be thinking that this bread is an all day adventure, but it’s not. You can make the dough ahead of time, which only takes about 7 minutes. Allow it to rest for 2 hours on your counter and then refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it over the next 7 days.  At that point, it will only need a couple of minutes of shaping and a 90 minute rest on your counter until it is baked for 35 minutes.

Here it is going into the 500 degree Dutch Oven…BE CAREFUL!

After the first portion of baking, at the lid removal point. Again, be careful.

And here it is coming out of the oven for the last time.

Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing.

Next time I make this bread I am going to skip the “smoothing stage”. I think that I ended up patting down the dough a little too much, resulting in a more dense loaf. I was hoping for a little more height.  The bread is delicious though. A nice crunchy crust on the outside,   and soft on the inside. Very flavorful and I think it would also work well shaped into a baguette, into smaller boules that could be eaten and torn apart in pieces with soup, or even a much larger boule.