The Spunky Coconut

Extra Creamy Mint Chunk Ice Cream dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free

2009-07-09T14:36:00.019-07:00

I never need an excuse to eat ice cream, but since it is summer here in the Colorado Front Range, and yesterday it was 97 degrees, I thought a little ice cream was in order. ;-) I make mint ice cream all the time, but this one I wanted to be extra creamy, and with mint chocolate brownie chunks. YUM! I also put some in A Container With a Lid to take to a little concert at the park tonight. It can be a bummer when you go somewhere, like a concert in the park, and see people eating food you don't eat, wishing you had a treat yourself. So tonight I'm taking my ice cream with me to the show!
Cheers, Kelly

Extra Creamy Mint Chunk Ice Cream

dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free

Add to blender:

1 cup of cashews, soaked at least 3 hours, rinsed and drained

1 tbsp gelatin, dissolved in 1/4 cup boiling water

Or 1/2 tsp xanthan gum

12 drops of vanilla creme liquid stevia

1/2 tsp mint extract

1/4 cup honey Or xylitol

3 cups of almond milk

Puree till smooth.

Pour into Ice Cream Machine.

Top with crumbled Mint Chocolate Brownies and walnuts.

The Garden is Growing

2009-07-05T19:07:00.003-07:00

I am so excited I just had to take a couple pictures to show you! The pumpkin and squash that we started indoors from seeds are really taking off in the garden! I think they are so pretty!

Note: You may click on the photos to see them larger.

Blueberry Parfait dairy-free, sugar-free

2009-07-01T13:37:00.023-07:00

As we speak, my husband is devouring the blueberry parfait in this photograph, and I keep hearing comments like, "Oh, this is so good." And getting my meat-and-cake-eating-man to eat anything fresh and uncooked means it must be true! :-)

What's also really nice about this blueberry parfait (besides how healthy it is) is that it took just minutes to whip up. I put the cashews in a bowl of water before I went to sleep last night, and when I got up, I rinsed them well, and pureed them with 4 other ingredients, before putting the cream in the fridge to chill. Six or so hours later, and it's ready to serve. Super easy, super delicious.

If your thinking about adding coconut oil to your diet, check out this article by Bruce Fife, N.D.

Blueberry Parfait:

(dairy-free & sugar-free)

Soak 1/2 cup plain organic cashews in water over night or
about 8 hours.

Rinse well and strain. Add cashews to food processor with:

1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified

1/4 cup honey

Puree about 2 minutes. Add:

1/4 tsp vanilla creme liquid stevia

2/3 cup coconut milk (not "lite")

Puree till smooth and creamy.

Chill for six hours or more.

Serve layered with fresh blueberries.

Stuffed Red Peppers gluten-free, dairy-free

2009-06-29T17:46:00.020-07:00

The other night, one of the little girls in the neighborhood was over for dinner, and these were the only ingredients left in my fridge :-) Luckily, these stuffed red peppers turned out so delicious that all 3 little girls, as well as Andy and I, went back for more. Well, okay, one little girl liked the meat best, while another liked the onions best, and still another preferred the pepper, but in the end it was all gone, and everyone was very pleased :-)

The only thing I would do differently next time is make more, like double the recipe so everyone gets two of them. And I would stuff them higher -make little mountains of filling. Honestly, that's all, they don't need any other changes -they were soooo good! The secret ingredient? My new ranch dressing recipe!

Stuffed Red Peppers:

Saute:

1/2 pound lean ground beef or ground chicken

1 onion, chopped

Drain if necessary.

Add to bowl with:

4 slices of gluten-free bread, well toasted and finely chopped

(I used Outside the Breadbox gf bread, but any gf bread will work since the bread absorbs the flavors of the other ingredients and dressing)

1 cup of white beans (I used leftover Great Northern beans)

3/4 to 1 cup of my Creamy Ranch Salad Dressing

Cut the tops off the peppers and skim a tiny bit of the bottom off with a knife to level them, if you like. Season the inside of the peppers with Herbamare or sea salt, then stuff the peppers with filling. Lightly grease the bottom of the pan so the peppers don't stick.

Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Creamy Dairy-Free, Egg-free Ranch Salad Dressing

2009-06-26T15:17:00.012-07:00

Lately I've been craving creamy ranch salad dressing. Of course, it had to be healthy, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Then I was peering into my fridge the other day, trying to decide what to eat, when I saw left-over cooked white beans... see where I'm going with this? :-) Haha! I know I'm getting predictable with the bean recipes here, but this dressing is so creamy and awesome! I've already made it three times now, and I'm no where near being tired of it! Let me know if you try it!

Creamy Dairy-Free, Egg-free Ranch Salad Dressing:

Add to blender:

1/2 cup cooked white beans

1/4 cup almond or cashew milk

1 tbsp Vegenaise Grapeseed Oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/4 tsp Herbamare seasoning

1/4 tsp dried dill

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Blend till smooth and creamy.

I also added hemp seeds, raisins and walnuts to the salad in this picture. Yum!

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free! ***Manly Food

2009-06-24T18:10:00.037-07:00

When I read that Carol, of Simply Gluten-Free, was hosting this months Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-free! I knew it was going to be fun. Carol has such a great sense of humor, and of course her theme gave me a laugh: Manly Food! So I should explain that when it comes to my man, sweets are his favorite thing to eat. In fact, before he started his own company, he had a "candy drawer" at the office where he worked. Although he eats much healthier now, and our family does sugar-free, he still loves his sweets. And one of his favorite sweets of all time is doughnuts.

Though I've tried a couple of gluten-free doughnuts out there, I've never been very pleased with them, and man are they expensive! (pun intended) Not to mention high in sugar, and definitely not healthy, or easy on the waistline, if you know what I mean. Ahem.

But I had an idea -make some doughnuts for my man, using two recipes already under my belt, one with a couple slight modifications. And they came out sensational. Of course, my hubby will like them more when they've had a day or two to sit around and get even better. Also, he likes his doughnuts cold (go figure) so I'm sure I'll find them in the fridge momentarily :-)

So to make doughnuts I had to buy this pan, and I'll be on the search for one that's not aluminum if I continue to make doughnuts, but I didn't have the time to invest looking before this months theme was up. And, I'm really not sure that I'll find one that isn't aluminum if I do look, although I got a nifty ceramic bundt pan on ebay a while back. They made these ceramic bundt pans 20 years ago or so, and I absolutely love mine, (always happy about keeping aluminum out of our bodies!) but I digress...

For the Chocolate Frosted Doughnuts I cut my Vanilla Bean Cake recipe in half (both the cake and the frosting). I greased (well) and floured (well), then poured 1/4 cup batter into each, for a total of 6 doughnuts. I baked them at 325 degrees for about 12 minutes.

The blond doughnuts are Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts. I used my Orange Pie recipe, also cut in half, but with a few changes:

Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp vanilla creme liquid stevia

2 room temperature eggs (so they don't harden the oil)
1 tbsp coconut oil, liquified
2 tbsp brown rice flour
2 tbsp tapioca flour
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp poppy seeds

Mix with electric mixer.
I greased (well) and floured (well), then scooped 2 tbsp batter into each, for a total of 6 doughnuts.
Bake at 325 for about 10 minutes.

Frosting for Lemon Poppy Seed Doughnuts:
Whisk:
1/4 cup water or coconut milk
1/4 cup honey
Add:
2 tbsp coconut flour
5 drops vanilla creme liquid stevia
Whisk

camping and eating gluten-free in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

2009-06-22T20:33:00.059-07:00

This weekend we went on a 4 day, 3 night camping trip to Steamboat Springs, Colorado. It was so green and beautiful, I wished we could stay longer!

For breakfast we had tea, and homemade granola (see end for recipe), with fresh fruit and berries, which we picked up daily at one of three local health food stores.

We also picked up gluten-free bread at the local health food store, for almond butter and jelly sandwiches. Such an easy lunch to pack, especially when we went hiking, and to the hot spings.

On the last morning we had Thai Kitchen rice noodles and broth,
for a change.

Dinner out was our big treat. Above, in the middle, is The Bombay Grill. We got there early, and were happily surprised to see an Amante right across from them, as they were not yet open. We got a drink in Amante (there is another Amante here, in Boulder), then headed to The Bombay Grill for dinner.

This is a photo of my chicken curry at The Bombay Grill, just off of Mt Werner Rd. It was divine. I always check to make sure there is no flour in the food, although I've never been to an Indian restaurant who put flour in anything but bread and battered dishes. Also I always ask them to substitute coconut milk for moo milk, and they are happy to do that. That's the great thing about Indian restaurants -they have coconut milk on hand ;-)

I was a very happy camper. (wink, wink)

Zoe and Ashley split tandori chicken, and it was so yummy that Andy and I had to control ourselves not to eat it from them!

This is one of three health food stores we went to. Sweet Pea Market is very sweet indeed. It belongs on a postcard for how cute it is. Next door, and attached, was a raw drink bar, for fresh juice and green smoothies.

Another view of Sweet Pea Market.

On the main road, Lincoln, is a local health food store called, Healthy Solutions Community Market. We picked up some gf/cf supplies there, including a pint of Coconut Bliss. -You have to eat ice cream every day on vacation ;-)

Another of our very favorites, and where we went most often, as it was closest to our campground, was Bamboo Market (pictured below). It was fully stocked as well, with organic produce and gluten-free, dairy-free food, including these Misty Mint Brownies, which I had never seen before. The first ingredient, however, is organic cane juice. The owner warned me they are so sweet, and they were. The girls and I split one (they are quite small to begin with), and I had to top mine with almond butter to cut the sweetness. It was very good though, in small quantities -like a few bites.

Bamboo Market

Here we are outside at Bamboo Market, sharing a pint of Coconut Bliss, listening to the river rush by directly across the street. Yampa Street is one street over from the main street, and I loved it, because it's right on the river, and there is a path you can walk too. I was thinking that a pint of Coconut Bliss is about $6, and shared by four people, that's a really good deal for ice cream. I'm sure four ice creams in an ice cream store would be at least twice that much.

I said we had ice cream every day on vacation and I meant it! ;-) Here they are in the rain, with their Coconut Bliss, happy as clams. Have I mentioned I love Coconut Bliss? hahaha

Lastly, here was our most expensive treat: dinner at Cafe Diva, near the gondola. We ate outside (reservations are required inside) and it was a little piece of heaven on a plate. The staff was unbelievably helpful and accommodating to our gluten-free, dairy-free needs. I felt like a queen ;-) This was corn and halibut, with sauteed garlic, spinach and tomatoes. Mmmm...

As a side note -we really wanted to go to the Cottonwood Grill, on Yampa Street, but unfortunately it was closed on Sundays. Also, Saketumi, near Cafe Diva, at the base of the ski area, looked really good, and it was hard to choose between the two. More reasons to go to Steamboat again! haha!

Recipe for the granola we brought:

4 cups almonds

4 cup walnuts

soaked for about 8 hours, rinsed and dehydrated

2 dehydrated granny smith apples

1 cup shredded coconut, lightly toasted

Topped with a mixture of:

1 bar of dark chocolate, melted over a double boiler (I use a local: Chocolove 70%)

2 tbsp coconut oil, liquified

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 to 1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 to 1/2 tsp ground ginger

Refrigerate

PS My mother in law gave me the greatest idea for keeping the cooler cool with zero effort while camping. Rather that using ice cubes, which are small and melt quickly, fill large plastic containers and freeze them ahead of time. She suggested milk gallons, which of course we don't have, but gallon size water bottles are perfect. The big blocks of ice stayed (mostly) frozen, and everything was cool the whole time. I'm definitely going to do the same again next time!

gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free Vanilla Bean Cake

2009-06-17T14:06:00.021-07:00

Zoe and Ashley's birthdays are coming up, and Zoe asked me for a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. I decided to create a new cake recipe for their birthdays, using as few ingredients as possible, for as little money as possible. Also the cake had to be moist and delicious :-) A little research and a few tries later -it is so awesome. And the secret ingredient is -white beans. After eating Lauren's chocolate bean cake (from Healthy Indulgences), I was hungry for a vanilla version. However, the only white bean cake recipes I found included a cup of flour or a cup of pumpkin, so I had to come up with a totally new recipe, avoiding those ingredients. I am so excited with how mine came out. Our whole family and the neighborhood kids all gave it a big thumbs up. I really hope you try this simple recipe, and let us know if you do!

Vanilla Bean Cake:

Add to food processor:

2 cups cooked white beans, room temperature, so they don't cook the eggs (I made mine myself by soaking dry white beans overnight. In the morning I rinsed them well, and cooked them.)

6 eggs

1 tsp vanilla creme liquid stevia (do not measure over the batter, just in case it spills out)

1/3 cup honey

Puree well.

Add:

1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted

3/4 tsp sea salt

1.5 tsp baking soda

1.5 tsp baking powder

Puree well.

Pour into springform pan, lined with unbleached parchment paper on the bottom, and greased all around.

Bake at 325 degrees for about 30 minutes.

Frosting:

Melt over double boiler:

1.5 bars of dark chocolate

3/4 cup coconut milk

When the chocolate has just barely melted, remove from heat.

Add 2 tbsp coconut flour, sifted.

Refrigerate until the frosting has cooled, about 15 minutes. (You know it's ready when it is the texture of frosting.)

When the cake has cooled fully, top the cake with the frosting.

how to make almond milk video

2009-06-16T16:33:00.003-07:00

how to make cashew milk video

2009-06-15T16:33:00.004-07:00

A very short clip of us at the fair...

2009-06-13T15:18:00.003-07:00

the incredible, edible, Denver CSA, Gluten-free Food Fair

2009-06-13T15:15:00.008-07:00

Zoe, after getting her face painted, standing in front of our table.

The Brozyna girls!

The fair today was so much fun!!! Thanks so much to everyone who came! I had such a great time meeting and talking with you all! I feel like the luckiest person to be so blessed :-)

PS A few of our favorites today: Local goodness from Outside the Breadbox, Larabar and Aunt Kay's. Love Colorado for people like these! Highly recommend OTB Graham Crackers, Larabar Banana Bread, and Aunt Kay's Lemon Poppy Seed Cake. Yuuuuuum!

biscuits made with almond meal left over after straining almond milk

2009-06-09T13:54:00.014-07:00

About every 5 days I make almond milk with a cup of almonds (measured when dry). Then I fill the blender up to the top line with purified water, blend and strain through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth. Sometimes I make two gallons at once, and freeze one (using glass jugs), so that I have to make almond milk less often. This leaves me with two cups worth of wet almond meal.

I've been working on a biscuit recipe using the wet almond meal left over after straining almond milk for a while now. I finally have a recipe that is good enough to share. I may still tweak it some more though :-)

Biscuits:

Mix well:

wet almond meal left over after straining almond milk = to 2 cups

of dry almonds

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1/4 tsp vanilla creme liquid stevia

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1.5 tsp baking soda

Kneed into dough. Roll to about 3/4 inch thickness. Use a cookie cutter of your choice. My kids used a heart shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Makes about 10 yummy biscuits.

chocolate orange mousse gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

2009-06-06T08:10:00.015-07:00

Those of you who follow my family journal blog know that we got a giant bag of oranges from our friend's farm this week. They are so good. We've been eating them alone, making fresh orange juice, and I even made yet another orange pie. :-) Then Heather had a great idea: make Chocolate Orange Mousse! When she suggested it to me last evening, I had already been soaking some cashews all day, so it was perfect. I threw the ingredients into the blender and chilled the mousse over night. It's so good! I hope you try it!

Add to blender:

1/2 cup cashews, soaked for at least 3 hours, and rinsed

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)

1/2 cup coconut milk

1 tsp orange zest

Puree. Add:

1/2 cup coconut oil, liquified

1/4 cup honey

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp cocoa powder

Puree very well.

Chill at least 8 hours.

I used these small drink glasses, and it made 4 servings.

Got Raw?

2009-06-04T19:33:00.004-07:00

Most of you, who have found this blog, have at least once considered that humans drinking moo milk is a little odd. I think I would be preaching to the choir here if I went on a rant about that. I mean no mammal, be it cow, human or otherwise, breastfeeds for life. Am I right?

The other day my girlfriends were talking about how there's this thing where you feed a pumpkin cow milk. Have you heard about this? You surgically implant a tube or a straw like an IV, and the pumpkin is fed cow milk. I think this is hilarious! Not only should grown people drink breastmilk from a cow, but so should a pumpkin! Too funny.

Anyway, I often take these kinds of photos of my breakfast fruit, nuts and nut milk, because I think it's so pretty. Here is one from last week with strawberries, walnuts (that have been soaked, rinsed, and then dehydrated so I can digest them), and almond milk poured over top. It's so good. This morning it was the same nuts with banana. My kids think it's a real treat drizzled with a little honey. Mmm... :-)

orange pie gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

2009-05-31T12:28:00.006-07:00

(you may click on the images to view them larger)

I was looking at some of my favorite blogs for recipes and inspiration yesterday, when I saw Orange Cake at Elanas Pantry. It was news to me, as Elana mentioned, that Starbucks has released a gluten-free orange cake. I go to my local coffee shop nine times out of ten, where they always have a good selection of gluten-free/dairy-free cakes and cookies, and when I do go to Starbucks I use the drive-though, which explains how I was out of the loop, but I digress.

I wrote down Elana's Orange Cake ingredients, and while we were out I swung by a Whole Foods to grab them. When this Whole Foods was still a Wild Oats grocery store, I bought almond meal flour there all the time, but now... it's gone. This is the second time I've lost a gluten-free product which Wild Oats carried, that Whole Foods doesn't. The last product I actually went ahead and requested, with those little pieces of brown paper which they display near the check-out. You know, the ones they hang up on a small board, with a note written below your own that says, sorry, but no.

I was disappointed, but I didn't feel like driving to Vitamin Cottage, where I should have gone in the first place. So I went home, and decided to make up my own version of an orange cake, using my own blend of gluten-free flours. I made one last night, but it needed a little tweaking, so I made another one this morning and I am very happy with the way it came out. It turns out that mine is not really a cake at all. It's an orange pie, and it's super yummy. I'm so excited about it that I'm going to take it to a pot luck this weekend. Cheers, Kelly

Orange Pie:

Boil 2 whole oranges (peel and all) for about 80 minutes.

Add the whole cooked oranges (peel and all) to your food processor, after putting in the blade.

Cut each orange in half, inside the food processor (they will be very soft).

Puree.

Add:

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup coconut flour, sifted

2 tbsp coconut oil

1/2 tsp spoonable stevia, or 1/4 tsp liquid stevia

1/2 cup honey

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

Puree.

While pureeing, drop in 4 eggs.

Now for some reason my spring form pan drips oil onto the bottom of my oven (yes, even when it's properly assembled). So what I do is use a large piece of unbleached parchment paper, untrimmed, so that it comes right up the walls of the pan, and I pour the batter over. As you can see this creates a bit of a scalloped edge, that I think is pretty. If, however, you have a pan that doesn't leak like mine, you wont need this step =)

Bake at 350 degrees for about 34 minutes.

Let cool fully before dusting with ground xylitol (I use a mortar and pestle to grind mine).

It will take forever to cool, so if you are impatient (I am impatient, and it was driving me crazy :-)), you can skip dusting it and eat it hot.

*As always, be very careful that your pets don't eat any xylitol

Update: I have made this 3 times now, and I should mention that the size of the fruit really changes the texture and consistency. The first two were made with large organic oranges (I think it's especially important that they are organic, since we are eating the peel). The large oranges produce a pie-like dessert (can I call it dessert if I eat it for breakfast -Ha!). The last one I made for a pot luck last weekend used two much smaller organic oranges, and it came out more like cake. They were equally good, I just thought I'd pass that on. Today I'm making it with 2 lemons for a lemon cake to take to another pot luck tomorrow -yay!

Cookbook Giveaway!

2009-05-26T12:14:00.010-07:00

Anybody want a free copy of my book, The Spunky Coconut Cookbook?

Here's how to play:

Leave me a comment with:

1) your name

2) your email address (or send me a private email if you prefer: kelly@thespunkycoconut.com)

3) tell us the short version of why you're using the diet: for yourself or a family member, for gluten-free, dairy-free or sugar-free?

Want extra credit?

4) put a link to this post on your blog or website for an extra entry! -and don't forget to let me know so I can give you two entries!

Contest is open until Tuesday, June 2, at 9:00 PM, my time ;-)

You must complete at least the first three to be eligible to win!

Good luck!

Congratulations Kamilla Bell!

PS I just want to say that I wish I could give you all a free cookbook!!!

2009-05-20T09:04:00.008-07:00

Dear Friends & Family,

I am trembling with excitement! The Spunky Coconut Cookbook, which Andy and I wrote, photographed and designed, is finally here! There is a link to it on the right, which will remain permanently in that spot. This book is made with a lot of love and I hope you enjoy it!

The cookbook contains:

115 Gluten free, Casein free, & Sugar free recipes

65 Color Photos (all by me)

100 Vegetarian Recipes

30+ Raw-Inspired Recipes

Using Natural Alternatives to Sugar: Honey, Stevia & Xylitol

Beginning chapters: Introduction, Safe Cooking & Storage, Green Your Home, Avoiding Sugar, Why use Coconut Oil, Lemon Juice for Acid Reflux, Oxalates, Appliances & Products -Followed by 115 recipes and 65 color photographs.

Cheers! Kelly

"Inspired by raw food, Kelly incorporates nut milks and natural alternatives to sugar to create gluten free recipes so creamy and sweet no one would ever guess there was no dairy or sugar. Recipes free of gluten, dairy, sugar, peanut, corn and soy, including raw-inspired recipes..."

vanilla almond smoothie dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free

2009-05-19T12:16:00.012-07:00

It is 90 degrees here today, and so I want nothing to do with hot or cooked food. Instead, I had this nice, cool smoothie for lunch, and it was so delicious. Honestly, Vitol Egg Protein Powder is so yummy, it doesn't even need other ingredients. Still, I couldn't resist making it even more healthy and fabulous. :-)

Vanilla Almond Smoothie:

Add to blender:

6 cubes of frozen cashew milk

1/2 of a banana, frozen in pieces

1 tbsp almond butter

1 tbsp Vitol Egg Protein Powder

1/2 tsp hempseeds, for essential fatty acids - omega 3 & 6

1 tsp honey or agave

water up to the 2 cup line

Blend

mini muffins, another use for almond butter gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

2009-05-14T11:58:00.020-07:00

I needed to order more Vitol (the best protein powder ever) last week and I noticed that if there were anything else I may need, which could count toward the "super-saver," then I could receive free shipping. Hmm... Get a couple more things, if there is anything I need, and receive free shipping. Well, there was this one thing I "needed," which was a miniature muffin tray and mini paper cups to go with it...

So I ordered those too, and received free shipping, and yesterday when we returned from hiking there was a nice little box on the doorstep from Amazon. Heeheehee...

Then this morning I had two objectives: 1) to stretch the remaining few items in my kitchen by thinking of new ways to combine ingredients, thus not having to go grocery shopping for another day, and 2) looking for more uses for almond butter (since I get giant Mara Natha almond butter for like half price at Costco).

What to do? Create a million (well okay 48) miniature muffins, using what I had left in the fridge and pantry. If you could see my pantry and fridge you would think we were fasting, but we're not. I just get a kick out of seeing how long I can go between grocery shopping, and it forces me to invent new things to eat. ;-)

Mini Blueberry Muffins:

Set oven to 325 degrees.

Add to bowl:

3/4 cup water or nut milk

1 cup almond butter

3 tbsp softened Ghee

2 tbsp honey

1/4 tsp sea salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup coconut flour, sifted

2 tbsp Vitol Egg Protein Powder (the best protein powder ever!)

1 tsp Spoonable Stevia (or 1/4 to 1/2 tsp liquid stevia)

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

Blend with electric mixer.

Add one (10 oz) package of thawed, drained blueberries

Stir to combine

I topped each with a sprinkle of shredded coconut for fun

Bake for about 12 minutes

Update: I just made these again, and I added two tablespoons of honey for my husband, who thought they should be a little bit sweeter (I just added it above). I think he was right -they were even better with that small amount of honey. Also I used frozen organic cherries this time, and I think the muffins were also better with cherries. I cut the cherries in half while they were still frozen, then let them come to room temperature on the counter. I also added some slivered almonds. We just polished them off, and let me tell you -they were so good!

bite-size freezer treats gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

2009-05-13T14:44:00.017-07:00

At a hike with friends this morning we were talking about uses for almond butter, which reminded me of these bite-size freezer treats. So we came home and made some! (After I accidentally sat on a cactus -ouch!) They were so good we ate half while we were making them!

Cinnamon Raisin Bite-Size Freezer Treats (which may or may not make it into the freezer ;-)):

Add to bowl:

1 cup almond butter

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp sea salt (for extra minerals)

1/4 tsp Vanilla Creme liquid stevia

Stir

Then add:

1.5 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp flax seeds &

1 tbsp hemp seeds (for essential fatty acids - omega 3, 6 & 9)

1/3 cup raisins

Stir

Then add:

2 tbsp Vitol Egg Protein Powder (the best protein powder ever!)

Chill for about 10 minutes in the freezer, then roll into bite-size balls and coat in shredded coconut.

Store in the freezer. Yum!

mango salsa

2009-05-09T17:08:00.012-07:00

Today we went for a really long bike ride, and stopped at the farmers market on the way for lunch. It was such a lovely spring day. Late this afternoon, when we got back, and the girls were playing outside with the neighborhood kids, I decided to make mango salsa. I could just eat this salsa with a spoon, but as a dip you could pair it with tortillas or sliced jicama. We put it on top of chicken and spinach tonight.

Mango Salsa:

1 finely chopped sauteed onion

1 cup of finely chopped tomato

1 cup finely chopped mango

1 tbsp fresh chopped basil

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 to 1/2 tsp Herbamare seasoning (to your taste)

banana chocolate chip muffins

2009-05-08T08:40:00.006-07:00

This morning I wanted to use up some bananas, but I didn't want to wait an hour for bread. So we used our Banana Bread recipe, added some chocolate chips, and made banana chocolate chip muffins. I was out of vanilla creme stevia, so I substituted with some vanilla extract, and they were still very sweet. The recipe made 11 muffins, and I baked them for 24 minutes at 350. Yum!

Simple Roasted Chicken

2009-05-06T17:11:00.006-07:00

My favorite way to eat chicken is roasted. Restaurants and grocery stores would like us to think this is not a luxury we could manage in our own home oven, and though I do sometimes feel drawn to those expensive rotisserie ovens which spin whole birds on a spic, I tell myself it isn't necessary. Regular old oven roasted chicken with sea salt and rosemary is so good! Here is how simple it is.

Set your oven to 450 degrees.

Fill the bottom of your greased dish with carrots, thinly sliced.

Sprinkle with some rosemary.

Top carrots with bone-in, skin-on chicken breast.

Add some sea salt, or our favorite, Herbamare seasoning, and rosemary to the chicken.

Roast for about 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest about 10 minutes.

(I like to add the sea salt to the carrots after baking to preserve the natural minerals)

mother's day ideas

2009-05-02T13:37:00.029-07:00

Little Green Pea

Featuring handmade, reusable sandwich and snack bags that are so cute! Perfect for the eco-friendly mommy!

Eoff Street Studios

Featuring awesome hand thrown stoneware that is dishwasher safe and sturdy.

Pretty in Purple

Featuring handmade kitchen and tableware using great fabrics. I personally own one of these oven mitts, and I love it!

Note: These are photos of one of a kind pieces. The artists offer many other colors, patterns and styles.

Click on the titles to enter their stores! Happy shopping!

The Spunky Coconut

Extra Creamy Mint Chunk Ice Cream dairy-free, soy-free, gluten-free

The Garden is Growing

Blueberry Parfait dairy-free, sugar-free

Stuffed Red Peppers gluten-free, dairy-free

Creamy Dairy-Free, Egg-free Ranch Salad Dressing

Go Ahead Honey, It's Gluten-Free! ***Manly Food

camping and eating gluten-free in Steamboat Springs, Colorado

gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free Vanilla Bean Cake

how to make almond milk video

how to make cashew milk video

A *very* short clip of us at the fair...

the incredible, edible, Denver CSA, Gluten-free Food Fair

biscuits made with almond meal left over after straining almond milk

chocolate orange mousse gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

Got Raw?

orange pie gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

Cookbook Giveaway!

vanilla almond smoothie dairy-free, soy-free, sugar-free

mini muffins, another use for almond butter gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

bite-size freezer treats gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free

mango salsa

banana chocolate chip muffins

Simple Roasted Chicken

mother's day ideas

A very short clip of us at the fair...