Tag Archives: gluten free zen

King Crab Salad with Creamy Avocado & Dill Dressing

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A couple of weeks ago I Googled recipes for salad dressing made with avocados. I made the mistake of trying the recipe right before we were going to eat and the very expensive, organic dressing ended up being poured down the drain. It was too vinegary, too acidic, and I couldn’t detect avocado anywhere in the dressing except in the color. In fact the dressing had no flavor at all. I hated to waste two organic avocados but down they went.

So yesterday when I was contemplating what to do with our leftover Mother’s Day King Crab legs, I thought I’d give an avocado dressing another try.

This time, I made up a recipe. It took all of 5 minutes and it tasted fantastic.

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King Crab Salad

*Makes 2 large personal sized salads.

2 Handfuls of Organic Baby Spinach

1 Head of Organic Romaine Lettuce, sliced

A Few Slices of Organic Red Onion, thinly sliced

1 Organic Tomato, chopped

1 Organic Avocado, chopped

2 Medium Organic Carrots, grated

Juice of 1/2 Organic Lemon, for drizzling over the avocado after it’s on the salad

About 1 1/2 Cups King Crab, chilled

Gluten Free Croutons

Divide the first 7 ingredients between two plates. Top with the crab (I pulled mine apart into bite sized pieces), sprinkle with croutons. Top with Creamy Avocado & Dill Dressing.

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Creamy Avocado & Dill Dressing

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*Makes about 1 Cup

1 Organic Avocado

1 1/2 teaspoons of Organic Dry Dill, you can use fresh if you have it

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 teaspoon Granulated Sugar

Juice of 2 Organic Lemons

1/4 Cup Olive Oil Mayonnaise

1/4 Cup Unsweetened Organic Almond Milk

2 or 3 Grinds of Fresh Pepper

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.

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Oven Fried Zucchini with Homemade Pizza Sauce

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This recipe has been floating around Facebook for a while now. I’m a fan of pretty much anything fried (who isn’t?) so I thought I’d tweak it and give it a try.

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I would change two basic things the next time I make it:

#1. I would dip the zucchini in dairy free butter instead of almond milk prior to breading.

#2. I would shpritz the breaded zucchini lightly with a good olive oil before placing them in the oven.

If you want to keep it healthy you can just follow the recipe below and it will taste just fine. But I think that the butter and olive oil would add more flavor and moisture to the breading so it would crisp properly. And keep in mind that although the addition of butter and olive oil will increase the fat content, it’s not by much. Certainly not as much as if you were to deep fry them.

Oven Fried Zucchini

1/2 – 3/4 Cup Gluten Free Breadcrumbs

1/4 Cup Dairy Free Parmesan

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Several Grinds of Pepper

About 1/4 Cup Almond Milk

1 1/2 – 2 Medium sized Zucchini, sliced about 1/4 inch thick

Non Stick Spray

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil and spray an oven safe cooling rack with non stick spray. Lay the cooling rack on the baking sheet covered with foil.

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a shallow baking dish and stir to combine.

Pour milk into a cereal sized bowl. Dip the zucchini slices in the milk and then dredge well in the breadcrumb mixture. Place each slice on prepared cooling rack, don’t allow sides to touch.

Bake for 35-40 minutes until lightly browned, outside is crisp and middle is tender.

There’s so many different ways you could make this. You could add Italian seasonings to the breading mixture and dip them in a meat sauce. You could add Mexican seasonings and dip them in a spicy chipotle mayo, you could add fresh herbs and dip them in a lemon vinaigrette…

*Don’t stack them while hot like I’ve done for this photo. The steam will make them soft. If you’re serving them to a crowd, allow them to cook just a bit longer to become extra crisp and then you should be able to place them on a platter without them becoming soft. If you’re just serving them to your family, leave them on the rack and family can help themselves.

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Homemade Pizza Sauce

I don’t have a written recipe for this sauce, I just wing it each time. So I’ll give you my basics and then you can add your own flair.

Canned Fire Roasted Tomatoes

Canned Tomato Paste

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Dried Basil (or fresh if I have it)

Dried Oregano (or fresh if I have it)

Minced Garlic

Kosher Salt and a Little Pepper to Taste

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until somewhat smooth.

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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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Stuffed Yams

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I am saddened to say that for about the first 40 years of my life, I only had yams once a year. Typically on Thanksgiving and usually swimming in Karo syrup, brown sugar, and pineapple juice.  Just a little slice because I liked the brown sugar.

Now however, I could eat them every single day.

They’re delicious, what’s not to like? It turns out they’re extremely good for you and if you eat even one little cup once a week it has been shown to reduce the risk of lung, skin, and prostate cancer dramatically.

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They’re versatile.

You can stuff them with whatever you like or just have them with a drizzle of heart healthy olive oil and salt and pepper. You can slather them with dairy free butter and sprinkle them with brown sugar…my personal favorite, and they’re even good plain.

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Have you ever been confused by the whole Yam Sweet Potato thing? We call the orange ones Sweet Potatoes. I don’t know why, but that’s how I was raised. I always thought the yellow fleshed ones were the Yams. Turns out I was wrong. If you don’t believe me, you can go here and scroll down for a visual and an explanation. So technically, that Sweet Potato pie that looks like pumpkin pie, is really made with Yams. Doesn’t sound as good though…Yam pie.

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Call them whatever you like, and make sure you don’t miss out on them for 40 years like I did simply because the sound of Sweet Potato or Yam grosses you out.

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Try stuffing them with all kinds of different things.

Then serve them with your favorite gluten free beer.

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You might just be surprised.

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Here’s how I prepared them tonight:

Lay the potato(s) on a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt, garlic powder, and oregano. Roll them up tight and place them in the oven seam side up. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Remove from oven and cool enough that you don’t burn yourself when you unwrap it and cut it. Once cooled, unwrap and slice vertically. Using a fork, rough up the flesh, sprinkle with kosher salt. Set aside.

On a gas grill or in a grill pan, grill boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The amount will depend on how many people you are serving. I placed 1.5 chicken thighs on each potato.

In a separate pan, saute onions, bell pepper, kale, and sun dried tomatoes. (Or any combination of any vegetable you like)

Layer the chicken on the potatoes first, then add the sauteed vegetables. Top with sliced buffalo mozzarella (made from buffalo milk), sprinkle with kosher salt, a few grinds of pepper, and dried oregano. Place under a pre-heated broiler until cheese is bubbly and begins to brown. But not too much or the mozzarella will become tough.

Serve with gluten free beer.

Things That Make Me Go, “Hmmm…”

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Chocolate Dipped Baked Doughnuts

Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

Here’s a conversation my husband and I had while out to lunch last weekend.

It started off with us talking about the 90′s generation and how they seem to have a different take on the career world. Many of them aren’t quite as willing to deal with job stress or the daily pressure of a 9 to 5 as our generation. They are more focused on doing what makes them happy instead of conforming or caving into the career path pressure and doing what they feel society expects of them. They also seem to recognize stress a bit better than our generation and aren’t too shy or filled with pride to say “no, I don’t want to feel like that.”

Husband: “People don’t need as much money as they think they do. They can live on less.” (Discussing the choices of some who do not want to work toward a stressful yet lucrative career.)

Me: “Yeah, that’s true.”

Then we talked a bit more about the differences in generations…. and I added that it made me wonder if the 90′s male “kids” we know would choose to marry wives with careers and be stay at home dads. Something I’ve never really found appealing for myself. What can I say? I’m a traditionalist.

Husband: “I would stay at home, are you kidding me, that would be great.”

Me: “So you’re saying that if I had a career that would fund our life you would be happy staying at home?”

Husband: “Of course.” I can’t remember all the comments he made because the ground was beginning to shift beneath me as the world went wonky, but he also said a few more things pertaining to how awesome it would be and then something like, how he would love to… “do anything he wants every day”. That last part is a direct quote.

Me: “I don’t, by far, do ‘anything’ I want everyday.”

“So you would clean the house, do laundry, take care of the dogs, take care of all of our appointments, household issues, cooking, sit down and pay the bills, and anything else that came up and needed to be handled?”

Husband: “Well, I would do some of those things sometimes, sure. Of course.”

Me: “Some of those things. And who would do the rest?”

Husband: “I would hire a maid.”

Me: “Are you kidding me?”

Husband: “No. Can you imagine ME at home doing THOSE things?” (Laughs)

At this point I was wishing I had ordered that margarita the waitress offered after all.

Me: “There is no way that I would feel fine working day in and day out just so you could hire a maid to do all of the things that I do now and so you could hike with the dogs and mountain bike all day every day.”

Husband: “Really? Why not?”

Me: “What. Are you serious?”

Me: “So you’re telling me that you wouldn’t care if I hired a maid to do all of the things I do now… AND I didn’t work? If I took care of barely anything and spent my days gallivanting around doing whatever I felt like while you worked every day?”

Husband: “No, I wouldn’t care. Do what you want to do. Why wouldn’t you?”

Me: “What? Are you serious?”  

Why didn’t I order that margarita? 

Me: “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Thankfully, we were “saved by the bell” in the form of our waitress and a  huge plate of fajitas.

…Hmmmm

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Then I ran across this article yesterday on WordPress Freshly Pressed.

It’s a short read.

“Doing More Only To Do Less – Do We Glorify Busy?”

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This article resonated with me.

Hmmm…

Did you see this quote? –  “But there is another aspect to it. Perfectionism – that shadow from our childhoods. We want to be excellent – because if we are, we will be worthy of love. So we take on anything and everything that is thrown us. Even when we are aware we are overwhelmed, we find it hard to say “NO”. Because we fear that if we do – people will think less of us.”

And this one? –   “Idleness is not just a vacation, an indulgence or a vice; it is as indispensable to the brain as vitamin D is to the body, and deprived of it we suffer a mental affliction as disfiguring as rickets.”

Yikes.

It may seem strange or even unbelievable to some people that those of us who stay at home and don’t have a career could ever be so busy or have so much on our plate that we think we need to do, that we feel overwhelmed. But it’s true. I’m still busy even though there are only two of us left at home (well…5 counting the dogs and cat), and sometimes, often, it seems like most of my days are taken up by chores and to-do lists or other things that come up and need to be handled immediately, or things I think I absolutely must do to feel productive. And I try to hurry and get the chores done so I can squeeze in the the things I love to do but inevitably, a wrench gets thrown into the mix. There’s a hiccup and all of the sudden you’re left thinking, “Where did my day go?”  You’ve experienced it. You know the old saying, ‘the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry’. Like the other day when I was in the middle of  doing our household bookkeeping (my least favorite job) as fast as I could so I could spend some time in my craft room when I was done, and Abigail came running in with Porcupine quills stuck in her tongue.

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After reading this article I thought about all of  the things behind why some of us keep ourselves so busy all the time. I’m sure there are more reasons than I can count but I’d be willing to bet that many people equate busy with productive. And the problem with having the need to be productive is that when we’re not feeling productive then we feel guilty, anxious, and have a hard time focusing on the moment and taking time to do the things we really enjoy. Being busy is not the same thing as being productive.  And being busy does not reverberate the same kind of happiness as being productive. A simple concept but clearly one that many people battle, including me. Maybe some of those non-conformist “kids” from the 90′s  are onto something?

 Regardless of what some people’s perceptions are when it comes to “stay at homers” (believe me, I’ve heard them all over the last 24 years), I of course do not sit around doing nothing, I don’t do “whatever I feel like doing every day”, and I actually do have a brain in my head, and it works quite well.  Even though all these years I’ve prided myself with being a “productive” (too busy?) human being, I think I could benefit from a little more relaxation and fun. I started to think about that conversation with my husband and that article.

Hmmmm….

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 I can tell you in all honesty and I’m pretty sure my husband would agree with me, that he would NEVER. EVER.  EVER… choose laundry, cleaning, bookkeeping, yard work, etc. if he had the opportunity to go for a mountain bike ride, run, hang gliding, hiking, or a motorcycle ride if he was able to stay home every day and not work a job outside of this house. In fact, in most things, I’m pretty sure he’s immune to guilt and that niggling I feel to be “productive” and the choice to have fun would be clear to him. It’s a man thing, I guess.  He would think that daily chores could be saved for another time. (Or his maid would do it for him I suppose.)

And if he feels fine thinking that way, in fact, guilt free…why don’t I?

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Why don’t I set aside one or two hours a day when possible to do something that I absolutely love? You may be thinking, “But April, aren’t you doing that right now? You’re sitting down and creating a blog post.” Food blogging is part of that attitude of setting aside time to do the things I enjoy, of course, but I don’t do it nearly as much as I would love to. And many times I’m in a rush because there are other things that I feel are more important that need to be done and I don’t think I’m reaping the full enjoyment of the moment.

Although I’m not into all of the adventure sports my husband likes, there is a long list of things I love to do that I haven’t been doing. Maybe there’s something to that article? Why do I allow my day to be caught in a swirl of “busy”? Guilt because I don’t feel productive if it’s not? Worry that I may appear as if I’m not doing my part? Lack of time organization? And yes, there are definitely important things that need to be accomplished every day, but maybe that list of “important things I need to do” needs to be reorganized and tweaked, just a bit?

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So a few days ago, I made a pact with myself to be a bit more organized when it comes to doing the things I really enjoy. And to feel less of whatever it is that’s making me feel the need to be busy with tasks all the time and feel guilty if I’m not. Beat it down with a proverbial stick if need be. Of course, I won’t be hiring a maid. (I mean seriously….really?)  But slowly, I’ve been sneaking into my craft room and starting a few things, reading those few extra pages in the bathtub, lingering over my morning bible study.  Trying not to fret if I haven’t made it into the shower before 9:00, there are dishes all over the counter from my morning blog post, and my husband can’t find his brown socks.

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It’s baby steps, sure. But it’s progress.

Here’s a little proof of my progress. I left a mess on the counter for an entire hour and a half while I typed up this blog post…

Just because I felt like it. Uh huh, that’s right.

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And I made these a couple of days ago for our bathroom. Floral pictures cut out of an art book I bought at the local bookstore and placed in shadowbox frames that I found for $3 each and antiqued.

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And…I’m ever so slowly but surely getting back into jewelry making and am dabbling in making my own clay beads and such. Did you know I used to make jewelry? Yep. Even sold quite a few pieces.

Now though, it’s going to be just for fun and relaxation. 

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I also made a wreath for the guest bathroom window.

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So there ya go. If I can do it, you can certainly do it.

We’ll do it together.

An old dog can be taught new tricks, it just involves patience. Double chocolate doughnuts help too.

We’ll beat down the “glorification of busy” and take the time to live in the moment and enjoy the things we love to do, one. day. at. a. time.

Double Chocolate Baked Doughnuts

Makes 16 doughnuts

*This recipe is adapted from Silvana Nardone’s Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Doughnuts. Do you have her cook book? If not, you should! It’s filled with fantastic gluten-free recipes.

doughnuts:

1 1/2 Tablespoons Instant Coffee Granules

3/4 Cup Boiling Water

2 Large Eggs, room temperature

6 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 Tablespoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 Cups Silvana’s All Purpose Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill products and Kosher salt)

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

3/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

3/4 teaspoon Kosher Salt

3/4 Cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

glaze:

1/4 Cup Boiling Water

6 ounces Dairy Free Semi Sweet Chocolate, chopped or shaved

2 1/4 Cups Powdered Sugar

1 1/2 Tablespoons Dark Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tablespoon Hot Water

Colored Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray two non-stick doughnut pans (I used non-stick mini bundt cake pans) well with non-stick cooking spray. Whisk the coffee and boiling water; let cool completely. Whisk in the eggs, oil, and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, and granulated sugar. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just combined. Fill each doughnut or bundt cake cup 3/4 full and bake for about 13-15 minutes. Should be springy to the touch. Don’t over bake.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes. Carefully loosen the sided with a fork and using the fork to help lightly remove them from the pans, transfer to a cooling rack.

For the glaze, in a medium bowl stir together the boiling water and chocolate until melted. If it doesn’t melt all the way, microwave at 20 second intervals until smooth. Stir in the powdered sugar, corn syrup, and vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add the 1 Tablespoon of hot water and whisk until smooth and of dipping consistency.

Carefully dip each doughnut in the glaze, return to the cooling racks and top with sprinkles

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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New Hampshire Maple Weekend Is Here!

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The maple sugaring season in New Hampshire is up and running!

Why is this so exciting?

Because all over New Hampshire there are little sugar shacks that produce the best tasting maple syrup that has ever passed your lips.

You can only get it fresh between the months of February and April, so my suggestion is, that although the syrup is wonderful all year, there’s nothing quite like tasting it warm right when they’re making it…so get out there and start sampling!

We visited two maple syrup producers today but there are a total of eight in our county and over 110 state wide.

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Typically they are just little houses or “sugar shacks”.

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Fieldstone Farm harvests the sap from several different locations so we couldn’t see what a tapped tree looks like. But on our way to another town we ran across a small area that was being tapped on someone else’s property. I’ll show you those pictures after we tour the farm.

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This is where the sap starts its journey into the sugar shack. It will be heated to evaporate the water, then boiled, then cooled before bottling…at the beginning of the process the sap only has about 3% sugars and after it has been heated and the water has evaporated, it will raise to about 10%. You can go here to learn all about the process of making maple syrup.

The measurements are so they can tell how much sap is left in the outside tank.

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This is also the sampling room. Little cups of warmed maple syrup…let me tell you, it was delightful. It almost tasted buttery; it was so smooth and rich. Then they brought out the Maple Cream. I had never even heard of such of thing but I’m going to tell you right now, if you have the opportunity to purchase some, do it.

Unbelievable. Think of whipped honey but in the form of maple syrup and much thicker and richer. It’s still 100% maple syrup but they heat it to a high temperature and then have to cool it to a certain temperature. It’s a two day process just to make one pot the size of a large stock pot. It is so good you could easily eat it by the spoonful.

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This is the owner, Dana Ryll, (below left) chatting with friends and customers. I feel like we live in such a remote area compared to where we used to live in the city, so I’m always so surprised to see so many people out and about here. There were tons of people coming in and out. Clearly, the locals and even not so local know exactly where to get their maple syrup and maple cream.

Remember how I’ve been telling you how incredibly friendly people are in New Hampshire? We hadn’t thought to bring a checkbook and had only come with a debit card. We had over $80 in purchases set aside on the counter and Dana’s exact words were, “Don’t worry about it, just mail me a check! We do it all the time, I trust you.” What on earth? When was the last time you heard that from someone who was selling you something? Even though we appreciated his very kind gesture, Tony ran to get cash. Such friendly people. We are enormously blessed to live in this part of the country.

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This sweet kiddo is Austin.

He helps during syrup season and they call him the “Sap Rat”. He’s proudly displaying their delicious syrup.

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This is the boiling room.

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The chimney in the back is where the wood smoke can escape and the steam from the boiling syrup goes right up to the ceiling where there are panels they open so the steam can make its way outside. It’s still winter in New Hampshire (35 and windy today) and this was my favorite room because it was so warm and moist!

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While Tony ran to get cash I headed outside to see Abe the  Buffalo, and his daughter Maybelle. I was chatting and forgot to get a shot of Maybelle. Maybelle is a Beefalo and she was gorgeous. Looked mostly like a cow but had a bit of a buffalo hump and long hair along her neck and her face was gorgeous. When we head back there for more syrup I’ll be sure to get a picture for you.

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This is Harry and his friend whose name I didn’t catch. Harry was adorable and liked to have all kinds of attention. At one point he even had a good taste of my camera strap and my scarf.  The owner’s wife basically rescued them from a goat milk farmer. Evidently since the males don’t produce milk they are…disposed of…when they’re born. I told her I was lucky I didn’t go with her because I’d probably have ended up coming home with way more than two! Wonder what Tony would say when he arrived from out of town to a backyard full of male baby goats?

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Their farm is absolutely beautiful. I need to learn to be more focused when I’m out and about with my camera. I enjoyed the opportunity for social time and neglected to take a few shots of their land. Amazing scenery.

So many areas in New England are straight out of a Martha Stewart magazine. Exactly like you imagine. Do you know what I mean? As you drive down the treed roads, everywhere you look you see the quintessential New England homes as if they are right out of a New England handbook. Gorgeous wreaths hanging on doors, a wisp of smoke coming out of the chimneys, stacks of firewood off to the side. Places where you wear wool sweaters and adorable boots and cart shiny pails of warm milk and fresh eggs into the house. Places where homemade syrup fills the air and people welcome you right into their farms and homes with open arms.

Heaven on earth.

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You can order their syrup and maple cream and learn more about Fieldstone Farm and Sugarhouse here.

We moved on from Fieldstone Farm and headed north to Boutwell’s Sugar House in Jaffrey.

A much smaller operation, tiny in fact, but don’t let that fool you or stop you from visiting. They too are producing a very flavorful and delicious maple syrup. We purchased their medium amber syrup and snacked on samples of maple sugar candy.

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I threw a stick for this sweet girl while Tony chatted with the owners. You know I have a soft spot for pups!

Who could ignore those pleading eyes?

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From here we headed toward Keene to check out the local farmer’s market. We kept noticing blue tubing on some of the trees on people’s property along the way. We finally realized they were tapping the trees for sap to make maple syrup. Duh! I had Tony turn the car around so I could get a few pictures for you.

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Not at all what I had expected. They are just tiny little taps! They’re all hooked together and converge into one long line that go directly into a sap tank. Probably just enough for the homeowner and their extended families to enjoy for the year.

Cool or what?

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Right there in the middle is where they all converge.

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And here is where they drain into the sap tank. It has to freeze at night and get up around 35 degrees during the day for the sap to flow.

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I’m pretty sure we don’t have any maple trees on our property, but we haven’t been able to do much exploring with all the snow. If we do, I’ll certainly be looking forward to some homemade maple syrup!

From there we got back on the road to Keene and headed to the farmer’s market.

The winter farmer’s market is pretty tiny but we still managed to leave with  four jars of organic preserves and one jar of organic chile pepper mustard from Cheshire Garden  for the BLT’s with avocado that we’ve been loving lately.

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We have been told the farmer’s market grows dramatically when the weather warms up. Can’t wait to see what all of the local farmers bring to sell!

From there we headed to the Elm City Brewing Company for lunch. (photo courtesy of Yelp)

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We feasted on gluten free burgers and fries and I was shocked and pleased to hear they even had three gluten free beer choices for me.

We had a fantastic day and Tony and I both agree that New Hampshire Maple Weekend gets two thumbs up!

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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Pretending It’s Spring

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There’s not much more we can do, really.

Well, besides maybe whine and complain. But I think we’ve already tried that and it didn’t work.

So all that’s left is…pretending.

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We woke up this morning to eight inches of new snow. Yep.

And we’re supposed to get six to ten more inches before the day is over. It’s snowing heavily right now at 2:30 in the afternoon, so I’m going to assume the weather forecast was correct. Luckily snow is beautiful. Can you imagine if we had to endure months and months of something ugly falling out of the sky every year? See, it’s not hard to find something in this weather to be thankful for. I’ll hang on to that and keep pretending that this will all melt next week and it will warm up to at least the high 50′s so I can start working in the yard.

Today I made Tony and I a colorful lunch to help us get through the pretending of spring.

This whips up very quickly (maybe 10 minutes at the most) and serves two. We had about a cup leftover. Perfect for a bed for an egg “sunny” side up in the morning.

Warm Spring Salad

Organic Olive Oil

1 Chicken Sun Dried Tomato & Basil Sausage (I used Alfresco), sliced lengthwise then chopped

1 Small Organic Onion

About 1/2 Cup Organic Red & Orange Bell Pepper, sliced

About 1 Cup Organic Broccoli Florets, sliced

Large Handful Organic Baby Kale, chopped

Large Handful Organic Baby Spinach, chopped

1 Can Organic Black Beans, rinsed & drained

Blackberry Ginger Balsamic Vinaigrette

Salt & Pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Saute the sausage, onion, pepper, and broccoli until sausage is lightly browned and vegetables are al dente. Add the black beans, kale, spinach, and toss until kale and spinach wilt. Season with salt and pepper and a few splashes of your favorite vinaigrette.

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