Apple Blueberry Crumb Cake

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Apple Blueberry Crumb Cake

For the Filling:

3 Medium Apples (sweet ones are better), peels on, sliced 1/4 inch thick and then cubed

1 Cup Frozen Blueberries

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tablespoon Granulated Sugar

1/2 Cup Raw Sliced Almonds

For the Streusel:

2/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

Pinch of Kosher Salt

1/2 Tablespoon Pumpkin Pie Spice (Cinnamon would work fine too)

3/4 Cup Artisan Blend Flour Mix

1/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter

For The Cake:

3/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 1/2 Cups Granulated Sugar

1/3 Cup Dark Brown Sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

3 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

3 Large Eggs

3/4 Cup Plain Goat’s or Sheep’s Milk Yogurt, or Almond Milk Yogurt

1 1/4 Cups Almond Milk

3 3/4 Cups Artisan Blend Flour Mix

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9×13 pan lightly with non-stick spray and set aside.

Wash and dry apples. Core and slice, then cube into a medium bowl. Squeeze the lemon over the apples and stir. Add the cinnamon and sugar and stir, fold in blueberries, set aside.

For the streusel measure the sugar, salt, flour, and pie spice into a medium bowl, stir to combine. Add butter and crumble through with fingers until the mixture has pieces a little large than pea size. Set aside.

For the cake, cream together the butter, salt, baking powder, and sugars until light and fluffy. Scrape down bowl. Add the vanilla and then begin adding the eggs and mixing until blended one at a time. Scrape down bowl. Add yogurt. Incorporate on low. Measure out flour into a bowl. Measure out milk into a cup. With the mixer on low gradually add 1/3 of the flour until incorporated, then add 1/3 of the milk until incorporated. Continue until all of the milk and flour have been added. Scrape down bowl. Mix on low for about 20 seconds.

Pour half of the cake mixture into the pan. Smooth with a spatula. Stir the apple mixture and with your hands, lightly place the apples and blueberries on top of the cake batter.

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Pour the remaining cake batter on top of the apple mixture. Smooth carefully with a spatula.

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Sprinkle the streusel over the top as evenly as possible. (Forgot to take a picture on the counter, so now you get to see my dirty oven too.)

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Place in a preheated oven and begin checking with a wooden skewer or knife in the middle at about the 55 minute mark. The oven in this house is old and doesn’t hold the temperature well…I had to bake mine for 75 minutes. Once I checked at the 55 mark, I then went in 10 minute increments. You don’t want to burn the streusel or make the cake tough.

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Cinnamon Blueberry Belgian Waffles

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I love waffles.

More specifically, I love waffles with my butter.

The only problem I have with waffles, is the waffle iron itself.

We used to have a relatively expensive waffle iron (about $100) that I absolutely hated. It cooked the waffles just fine, but if I didn’t spray it with non-stick spray the waffles were difficult to remove. The problem with the spray or any oil you put on a waffle iron is that it builds up and it’s very difficult to remove completely if you can’t take the plates out and wash them.

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So the last time we had waffles, I was at my limit with trying to clean it out with a skewer and a wet paper towel. Out to the garbage the waffle iron went because I was quite certain even Goodwill wouldn’t want it, and I began a search for a waffle iron that had removable, washable, plates.

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It’s not as easy as one might think to locate a waffle iron with removable plates.

I searched online and in stores for several weeks. Then finally, while I was wandering around Target one day, I ran across this:

The Breakfast Master

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It’s perfect. 

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And even better, it was only $39.99! Evidently you can do all kinds of things with it, but I have only used it for waffles. The cooking plates pop right out for easy cleaning…problem solved. The only thing I can think of that might be a negative is its size for larger families. It only cooks one waffle at a time. But heck, at that price, you could buy a couple and your pocket-book will still be happy.

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Cinnamon Blueberry Belgian Waffles

**1 3/4 Cups Artisan Flour Blend

1 Tablespoon Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 1/2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon

2 Eggs, separated (whites whipped to stiff peak)

1 3/4 Cups Almond Milk

1 1/2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla

1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter, melted

1 1/2 Cups Frozen Blueberries

**I substitute the cornstarch with arrowroot flour, make sure you read the substitution directions

Preheat Waffle Iron.  Mix together flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Add the egg yolks, almond milk, and vanilla and stir until combined.  Add the melted butter, stir to combine. Whip the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form, carefully fold the whites into the batter.  Fold in frozen blueberries.

Cook according to your waffle maker’s instructions. I cook mine until there is no longer steam coming from the waffle iron. I like them lightly crispy on the outside.

Top with dairy free butter, pure maple syrup, and blueberries.

This little neighbor joined me for breakfast this morning.

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Pumpkin Biscotti with Drizzled Belgian Chocolate

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Biscotti is incredibly easy to make. If you haven’t made your own, you must!

Put it on your “to-do” list and I promise, you won’t be disappointed. It’s the perfect afternoon snack with a cup of coffee or tea.

Pumpkin Biscotti with Drizzled Belgian Chocolate

*This recipe makes 10 servings

1 1/4 Cups Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour Blend

3/4 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, lightly packed

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (or make your own with this recipe)

1/4 Cup Pureed Pumpkin (I used organic canned pumpkin)

1 Large Egg

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (I use convection)

In a medium bowl measure the pumpkin, egg, and vanilla extract. Next, right on top add the flour brown sugar, baking powder, salt, xanthan gum, and pumpkin pie spice.

Stir with a spoon until ingredients are moistened and come together. This will take a minute or so of stirring.

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With your hand, knead the dough lightly and form into a ball.

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Place the dough ball on a lightly floured piece of parchment paper that is cut to fit your baking sheet. Roll the dough around a little in the flour to make it easier to work with and shape it into a kind of log/loaf shape. It will be small.

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Bake in a preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Lower the oven to 325 degrees.

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Slice carefully with a serrated knife by sawing back and forth. Cut into 10 servings and lay each piece on its side on the parchment covered baking sheet.

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Bake the first side for 8 minutes, remove from oven and turn over each piece. Bake the 2nd side for 10 minutes.

Remove to rack and cool completely. They will feel rather soft when you remove them from the oven but will crisp right up as they cool and will have a slightly soft center.

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Once they’ve completely cooled, melt 4 ounces of 70% Belgian chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments. Stir with a spoon and drizzle over each piece.

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I like just a hint of chocolate on mine, if you like more, you can melt a larger quantity of chocolate and dip half  (or all!) of each biscotti instead of drizzling. I stuck mine in the fridge for 10 minutes to set the chocolate quickly.

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Crumb Cake

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Guess what we woke up to this morning?

More snow. And I’m told there’s 8-12 more inches on its way.

Normally, I wouldn’t mind because snow is gorgeous when it’s falling from the sky and blanketing the trees.

But I really only love it during the months of December and January.

Now it’s just getting kind of annoying.

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One plus, is that my husband’s flight to DC was cancelled. Now he’s able to stay home all week. Although, he still works from his home office, it’s still nice to hear him clunking around upstairs.

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Looks like today will now be a baking and house cleaning day.

Happy Snowday…I mean Wednesday!

~ April

Crumb Cake

For the topping:

3/4 Cup Artisan Flour Blend

1/2 Cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1/4 Cup Gluten Free Oats

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/2 Cup Dairy Free Butter

For the cake:

1 1/2 Cups Artisan Flour Blend

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/4 Cup Dairy Free Butter, plus more for greasing pan

1 Large Egg

1/2 Scant Cup Almond Milk, plus 1 heaping Tablespoon Almond Milk Yogurt 

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter an 8 inch square baking pan. Make the crumb topping by whisking all of the dry ingredients and then crumbling in the butter with fingers. Work it in gently until it resembles medium-sized crumbs.

Next, make the cake. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Blend all wet ingredients except the butter, and add to dry mixture. Add butter. Fold with a rubber spatula until just combined and spread evenly in buttered pan. Top with crumb mixture and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick poked in center comes out clean. Start checking at 25 minutes.

Serve warm with a dollop of butter on top.

Peanut Butter & Shaved Chocolate Pancakes

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You are only allowed to have thoughts of pure bliss when you eat this breakfast.

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Pure. Comfort. Food.

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If you’re concerned…

Tomorrow, you can take the stairs.

Or do a few extra sit ups, or amp up the elliptical.

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But for today, just enjoy your breakfast with no strings attached.

Peanut Butter & Shaved Chocolate Pancakes

*This recipe is adapted from the Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking Cookbook

1 Cup Artisan GF Flour Blend

(I made a 12 cup batch, substituted the corn starch with arrowroot, and did 4 cups of brown rice flour and 1 cup of white rice flour because I ran out of brown.)

1 Tablespoon Sugar

2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 egg

1 Cup Almond Milk

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

2 Tablespoons Dairy Free Butter, melted

Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter

Dairy Free Chocolate, shaved (about 1 ounce)

Pure Maple Syrup

Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla and mix gently. Add the melted butter and mix just until ingredients are combined.

Grease a medium hot skillet with non-dairy butter. Cook on the first side until bubbles have formed on the surface and gently flip.

Top with peanut butter, shaved chocolate, and drizzle with pure maple syrup.

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Scandinavian Kringler

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My Grandma was an amazing cook and baker.

Home cooking, comfort food, and loving you with food were her specialties.

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Now before we go any further and I upset my Scandinavian friends…I can’t swear that this is really Scandinavian. It’s my Grandmother’s recipe and that’s what she called it, so I’m sticking to it.

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My Grandma had the best lap to sit on in the world and I always fit, even well into my teens. Just being around her gave me a sense of comfort that I really can’t explain with words. I have pictures of her on our stairwell and every now and then I stop and look really hard trying to will myself back to a time when life certainly was simpler and sweeter with a grandma around.

Grandma’s, if they’re doing it right, are the best listeners in the world. They give the best advice because they have all those years of experience and learning under their belt. Not much is a big deal to them and that in itself surrounds them in an aura of peace. They have fantastic responses to things you tell them like, “Well! I’ve never heard such a thing in my life!” or “Stop rushing! Life goes by so fast!” or my favorite, ”Pish posh, there’s no need to worry!”

They love you deeply and truly like only a grandma can, and there’s something to be said for that kind of true love.

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Time does somewhat help to heal that deep ache within when you lose someone who had such a significant place in your life. They are only as far away as your best memories and I have found that cooking and baking the foods she loved helps to heal that ache. I love to remember the times I sat with her in her kitchen and all of the great family gatherings we shared at her house. We had a crazy, eclectic, somewhat volatile family at times, but I tell you, there wasn’t anywhere else in the world that I wanted to be. Her house was the comfort zone, even my friends wanted to be there!

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Crisp and flaky crust with a pastry middle.

Grandma always used apricot preserves on her Kringler. That’s another thing we could always count on. Sameness. Isn’t that true of most grandmas from my mom’s generation and mine? The sticky old hard candy in bowls? The smell of their perfume? The traditional Thanksgiving dinners? Tinsel on the tree? The perfect potato salad? Pancakes with chocolate smiles? Cinnamon and sugared left over pie crust pieces?

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I guess that means that I’m kind of “next generation (make that two)” because I do switch things up a bit when I’m baking and cooking. I’m going to have to remember that when I have grand kids of my own. I’ll make traditions and sameness that I can share with them, that they can count on every time they visit me. They’ll have that same comfort zone that I had growing up.

The role of Grandma is a very important one. And someday, when I’m given the privilege of being called Grandma, I’m going to relish in it and soak up every sweet second.

Scandinavian Kringler – Grandma Style

For the bottom layer:

1 Cup Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour

1/2 Cup Earth Balance Soy Free Butter

1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

2 Tablespoons Cold Water

Measure the flour, xanthan gum, and butter into a medium bowl. Blend with fingers or pastry blender until mixture is combined and broken up into small pieces but not mixed into dough.

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Sprinkle with the water and stir with a fork until the mixture comes together.

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Divide the dough in half and pat out into 2 –  3×10 inch strips on a parchment covered baking sheet and set aside.

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For the middle layer:

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Earth Balance Soy Free Butter

1 Cup Mama’s All Purpose Almond Flour

1/8 teaspoon Xanthan Gum

3 Eggs, room temperature

1/2 teaspoon Pure Almond Extract

Cherry Preserves or Preserves of Your Choice

Bring the water and butter to boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat and immediately stir in flour and xanthan gum until smooth.

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Add the eggs one  at a time and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon.

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But maybe not so vigorously that you end up with this on the front of you and on the floor.

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You will panic at first because when you add the eggs, each time it feels like it’s separating. Just keep stirring quickly, and eventually it will look like this.

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Stir in the almond extract and spoon it onto the bottom layer. It will be sticky.

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Smooth it with the back of a spoon.

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Bake it at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. It will puff up beautifully during the baking process.

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Remove it from the oven and allow it to cool for just a few minutes. It will settle a bit, but no worries, you’ll still have plenty of fluff. Spread the preserves on with a spoon. Not too much, not too little.

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Allow to cool while you’re making the topping.

For the topping:

About 1 Cup Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons Earth Balance Soy Free Butter

1 teaspoon Almond Extract

About 2 Tablespoons Almond Milk

Sliced Almonds

Melt the butter in a small bowl. Add the powdered sugar, almond extract, and almond milk. Stir until smooth and of a thicker drizzling consistency.

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Drizzle over the Kringler.

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Sprinkle with sliced almonds and allow to cool completely before serving.

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Breakfast Parfait, An Embarrassing Moment, & A Head Scratcher

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I talked the new owner of Blueberry Fields, a local health food store, into ordering me the almond milk yogurt I like. They had never heard of Amande or any yogurt made from almond milk. Maybe it’s a West coast thing?

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I assured him that it’s leaps and bounds above any goat’s milk yogurt or soy yogurt that I’ve tried. He was very kind and said he would be happy to order it in and see how it does with his other customers. The next week when I went in to pick it up, he and his staff were even able to give it a taste test because as I was grabbing them out of the cooler, one fell to the floor, split open, and sprayed all over his shoe.

I layered the yogurt with homemade granola. You can find my recipe here.

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As the yogurt fell through the air in slow motion, hit the ground with a thud, splattering his shoe…I muttered “$hit” under my breath, apologized profusely and offered to pay for it.  One of those awkward moments where you’d like to close you’re eyes and pretend no one can see you like small children often do.

But, as I like to believe, everything happens for a reason even if the reason makes you feel like an idiot. They tasted it and liked it, so if it’s a hit with other customers, then I should be able to buy it on a regular basis!

It’s the little things in life, people.

Speaking of the little things in life. Here’s a little peek out the kitchen window from a few days ago. It stopped me in my tracks as I walked through to make a cup of tea. 

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I went shopping in Keene on Thursday, all by myself for the second time…I might add. Might sound slightly ridiculous to you adventurous souls out there, but driving around here is nerve wracking. It’s kind of dense as far as trees and such so it’s hard to get a grip on land marks. I’m used to wide open spaces where I can at least see which direction I’m headed.

There’s also a lot of roundabouts, they call them something else, but I don’t remember what. They make my armpits sweat. But I’m getting used to it and I have Telenav that stops me from getting too lost (when it works), so I’ve been venturing out on my own and getting to know the area a bit.

An example of a rather tame roundabout. The roundabouts on Main street in Keene…not always so tame.

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While I was doing a little shopping at Colony Mill Marketplace (they have a wonderful bookstore) an older woman overheard me say to the cashier that we had recently moved from Washington state. She asked where and I told her and it turns out she lived about an hour from where we used to live. We chatted for a minute and basically she told me she doesn’t like it here, and even drove the comment home with a very disapproving look on her face. She was shocked to hear that we love it so much. Shocked! 

I didn’t want to get into the reasons as to why she doesn’t like it here, because frankly, I hate to spread that kind of negative “stuff” and I don’t like it when people spread it to me either. So I paid for my things, said “nice meeting you”, and high tailed it out of there.

Here’ s a gorgeous sunset off our back deck. Isn’t it just awful here in New Hampshire?

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As I did a little mental inventory on the drive home, I thought to myself, “What’s not to like?”. Genuinely nice people, absolutely gorgeous surroundings, no state income tax or sales tax, the “live free or die” mentality, as much gluten-free eating out as we like, a palpable pride in the communities, lakes everywhere, hiking and trails everywhere, Boston, New York City, the ocean, Canada and Europe…all within a reasonable distance. There’s something for everyone!

And in case you need more convincing…

20 Reasons to LOVE New Hampshire

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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Battling The Bug

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Tony and I have been battling some kind of flu bug. It’s going on two weeks now since we’ve felt up to par.

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You know the kind of bug I’m talking about? The kind that doesn’t make you sick enough to think you need to go to bed for the day. But by the end of the day you feel worn down and horrible? That’s what we have. And it doesn’t want to go away.

I’ve been taking an herbal anti-viral tincture, loading up on water, and trying to rest. Tony has had to work, of course. Neither one of us are very good at the “rest thing”.

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I didn’t feel very hungry this morning after being up all night with a horrid headache, so I forced myself to eat an organic egg and then made this detox smoothie.

1 Small Organic Orange

1/2 Cup Frozen Organic Blueberries

1 Stalk of Organic Celery

1/4 Cup Packed Organic Flat Leaf Parsley

1 Handful of Organic Baby Spinach

1/4 Cup of Pineapple Chunks With Juice (in its natural juice)

1/2 Cup Ice

1/2 Cup Spring Water

Who knows if it will cure what ails us. If anything, it’s a great way to pack a ton of nutrients into a 16 ounce glass, and that certainly can’t hurt.

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It’s cold here. Very cold. Is it cold where you are? It’s negative 4 degrees and windy right now. They’ve predicted a high of 14 degrees today.

It’s so cold, we have ice inside the house. Right now I’m in a nightgown, fleece pajama bottoms, a sweatshirt, wool socks, and slippers.

Is it too early to wish for Spring?

Last night on the news they said this is a record year for warm temperatures in New Hampshire. They’ve had the warmest temperatures on average ever. So I guess we’ll be thankful for negative 4 and wind, because if this isn’t their “normal” cold weather…yikes.

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Last weekend we managed to get out for a bit and walk the dogs around Goose Pond. It was gorgeous and I can’t wait to become more familiar with the area.

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This time we had a late start and neither one of us really knew where we were going. I had no desire to be stuck in unfamiliar woods in the dark so we had to make it quick.

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Those aren’t our footsteps on the iced over pond. You know I’m not crazy! People here aren’t afraid of falling through the ice. They walk on it, take their kids and pets on it, and set up cute little fishing houses on it. Maybe some of that bravery will rub off on me one day.

I’ve been fiddling with my new camera over the past few days. Bear with me, I haven’t found the “sweet spot” in our house yet for natural light food photography.

I’ve been able to catch a few of the birds that come to visit every day. Our neighbor told me the other day that we will see about 100 different types over the year!

Tomorrow I’ll introduce you to our little visitors. For now, enjoy your day, and stay warm!

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.