Gluten Free Vegan Blondies

It's one of those mornings. I am procrastinating the chores that I have to do outside. It's -8 out, and for us, up in the hills, that is soooo cold! I will have to put on my carhart overalls, a brand name I'd never heard of till I met my husband, and brave the cold to feed the chickens and haul in some fire wood.  I'm by our warm fire, my two younger children, who don't have school, are bothering me to entertain them. The sun is lazily making it's rising appearance (it's 9:30) and I am content to just sit and type.

This year I am making all the presents that we are going to give for Xmas. It's a first. I have completed 2 of the 7 blankets that I am gifting to only close family. I have made various cowls, mittens, and hats for the few outskirts of friends that I feel to give to. In the past I have gotten carried away with trying to buy the perfect gift.....for everyone. I no longer feel that fits me. It's strange to look back and see how much one can change. In the past name brand gifts made me squeal...now, not so much. I'm content to watch my kids open a few gifts, while I sip some warm tea by the fire, with my husband.

This year we are also blessed enough to get to spend the Xmas and New Year holiday season with my bother in law and sister in law, and their mob! My mother in law and father in law will fly down with us and the kids and we will all be together. That is the extent of our Xmas spending. We are all super excited to leave the dark cold and spend it with people we really like, who happen to also be family. There will be 12 children, and I can't help but wonder where our two little girls are. I am praying a lot, as I wait on two countries to answer my paperwork. And it also makes me wonder what next year will be like. Sigh.

On to some recipes

Ever since I first discovered blondies, I became a huge fan! You can bake them in a glass dish, spread the dough, layer with jelly, chocolate chips and then add a little bit of the batter on top....but,  I prefer them in bite size mini muffin tins. It's much easier to ration your portion, or tell yourself..."it's just a little bite".... Oh, but what a bite! (be careful those bites do add up and before you know it....someone ate them all!!)


The batter will harden the more time that it is exposed, so you want to try to add the jelly as quickly as you can. Finding some really good organic jam/jelly and mini chocolate chips is important to this treat. I was using the cascadian farm raspberry jam, but learned that they spent money supporting the fight for Americans to not have Gmo's labelled (proposition 37 in California), so I am promptly moving on to another source. I'll let you know what I find.

Blondies!

Preheat oven to 340 and prepare your pan of mini muffin tray with liners
first your dry ingredients....

1/2c of garbanzo/fava bean mixture (I grind my own and mix 3/4 c fava/1c garb) you can use bob's
1/3c buckwheat flour
1/3c quinoa flour (If you wanted to make this grainless, you could simply mix 1/2c of buckwheat and quinoa, instead of the 1/3c ratios)...ahh! I just saw how expensive this is!! it costs about what I pay for a 25lb bag of quinoa! read below!
1/3c millet flour (again, I buy all these grains, and grind in my vita mix, saves LOTS of money!)
2/3c of coconut palm sugar
1/2t salt
2t of baking powder
1/2t baking soda
1/4c of ground flax or chia (chia is much kinder to the digestive tract)
 --mix all--

add your wet ingredients...
1/3c of applesauce
2T of vanilla extract
1/3c oil (coconut, or whatever you prefer)

 Once you have your batter, you will scoop to the 2/3 of the tins with batter and using a butter knife I put dabs of jam on top followed by a few chocolate chips (4?) and then I add another touch of the batter to top it off and sprinkle a few more chocolate chips

If you're using a baking glass dish, the same would apply...spread the batter on the bottom of the dish, saving some of the batter to plop on top....layer with jam, and chocolate chips...followed by remaining batter and more chocolate chips...bake in the over about 15 minutes..... depending on your oven....when they come out, they will be mushy, so let them cool down before attempting your bite, or cutting into the dish......mmmm!


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Thankfulness and Raw Pumpkin Cheesecake!!!

Happy Day of Thankfulness!!!!

I hosted Thanksgiving for the very first time this year! I completely enjoyed myself and the whole process. We set up the living room all opened up, and realized how wonderful it was to have all this space! Our kitchen/living room area is all open, and I love it. It is now still left open.

We had my mother and father in law over, whom I absolutely adore. We also had my mother in laws brother and their two children whom are married, with their families. It was perfect. The children played nicely and we were able to connect and have rich conversation. We talked about God, and what ever else was going on in our lives. They are all people that can relax and make you laugh. So we laughed, and we ate.

I prepared the turkey (this is a turkey that was loved and I took care of in every step of the way). I also made some amazing stuffing (yep, I was even surprised how well it came out!). I made some gluten free cornbread (sooo good!) and spelt rolls. I also made a couple of raw cheesecakes.

I really like making the raw cheesecakes. They are extremely easy, you can substitute sweeteners. I love how simple raw treats usually are. So I am posting this recipe because it was requested by a few of my dear family members.

Pumpkin/Vanilla Cheesecake

soak 2c of cashews for at least 2 hours.
I make two layers of flavors. In a spring foam pan sprinkle the bottom with unsweetened coconut flakes. I crush (you can use a food processor) walnuts and add a pinch of salt and some raisins and spread them as the crust. 

split the cashews 1 1/2 cups of the cashews and set aside the other 1/2 c ... in a high powered blender add to make your vanilla layer

1 1/2c soaked cashews
pinch of salt
half a fresh lemon juice squeezed
1/2 c agave
1T vanilla extract..........Blend........
slowly add 1/2c of melted extra virgin coconut oil

mix for a minute, until a smooth puree....
pour into the prepared spring foam pan.

with the rest of the cashews, pour in the blender
*I love to buy an organic pumpkin, or grow one, in early fall at the farmers market, and prepare it for this...very simple, just cut in half, poke holes with fork, set on cookie sheet, bake on 350 for a half hour, check to see if it's done*

1/2c of cashews
2c of pumpkin pulp or puree
1T of ground cinnamon
1t of ground nutmeg
1/2 c of agave

pour on top and let set in the freezer........

This year, I am doing something different. Instead of buying gifts, I will be making all the gifts that I give. I am kinda finding it freeing to not have to try soooo hard to find some "perfect gift", instead, out of love, I will make something that I hope the recipient likes. I have a few more things to make, then I will be done.

May we all discover how much richer it is to give than to receive. How much joy there is in finding gratitude, no matter where we are, or what we have. How great this short life can be. Pin It Now!

The Best Homemade Raw Ice Cream...EVA!

Bella and I

I am still waiting for the paperwork to go through. Paper work that says I'm a Romanian. Paperwork that says I have a current green card, in a sense, it says I'm currently adopted by America. Both countries are not moving fast enough for me:(

Today it was -9 in town. As I drove around running various errands (and getting my neck adjusted, big shout out to my favorite chiropractic clinic in town, probably in U.S).... I started day dreaming about living somewhere where we could farm all year round. The grocery store produce holds no lure for me. I look at it, wonder how long it's been since it was harvested, where it was harvested... how come it's not dead yet?? And then I think about how a few months ago, I was getting my greens from the ground. It all sounds like heaven. A place where we could just grow what we eat, and live without going anywhere else. The whole hippie movement was on to something. Maybe someday I'll be posting a blog from the middle of no where....a nowhere that is my heaven on earth.

In mommy news, the kids are growing. Zaya has a cough that is persistent, and is refusing to go away! I have started him on a new round of echinacea tincture. There are several nasty bugs going around.

Bella has had several allergic reactions. It has me a little perplexed. Her back turns itchy and it looks like she went through poison ivy. I want to have all of us go through allergy testing, she may be the first one we pay to go through. She has also decided that coats and winter gear are not her "thing", neither are socks. I am waiting and watching to see if wisdom comes to her, so far it hasn't. She simply insists, through chattering teeth (read above for temps here) that she is NOT cold!

Isaac is doing marvelous in school. When we eat dinner together, we all take turns telling everyone our favorite part of our day, and our least favorite part. Isaac favorite part was going to school! It is simply shocking! It warms my mommy heart. This is the first time he has ever talked about school....to see him thriving in school is amazing. I will not go back to how it's been in previous years...watching him fumble his way through school, learning very little, dealing with constant tantrums, having to fight with him about going.... Now that I know how it can be, I will not go backwards.

I am going to share with you my family's favorite quick dessert. The kids love this. Rip from this cookbook shared this simple idea on an episode of a show, I don't remember any of the specifics, but the idea stuck and we've added ingredients to make whatever flavor "ice cream" we've wanted! One of my favorites this summer was Alaskan blueberries. I am a junkie for those berries.

So what am I talking about? Our houses version of "ice cream". We simply buy an abundance of bananas in our house (they never are wasted!). I peel them, and freeze them. When they're frozen and we are craving sweets, I pull them out of the freezer and usually we make this version of ice cream in my vita mix. I know that you can use a regular blender, as well.

B'Nana Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip "Ice Cream"

3 frozen bananas
1T of vanilla extract (I love making my own)
1/4 c of nut milk (I use coconut)

2T of peanut butter (yes, you can use a different nut butter, like almond)
1/2-1c of mini chocolate chips

Add caption

In your blender start with all ingredients, once blended add your chocolate chips...it will blend them slightly and give you a great texture.

Please make your own combinations and try them out! For a completely raw dessert, just do bananas!

OH!! also wanted to add, I have a very special lady coming over tomorrow to help me with this blog! I know nothing about how to make it better, and she is willing to barter with me for her talented services!!! I am thrilled and excited to see how we can make it more visually enticing. My hope is also to be able to have access to previous recipes and posts, in categories! We shall see :)

Hope everyone had a safe Halloween! Pin It Now!

Grain-less, Gluten Free, Vegan, Uh-maze-ing Scones

this cracks me up! Big shout out to my friend Kristine who I got this from....

Oh Happy Halloween everybody! I must be candid....this is my least liked of all the holidays. I know, I know.... I have a whole lot of people that enjoy dressing up, and getting candy. But I remember being terrified as a child. It seemed frightening to me that grown ups dress up and try to scare kids. As a child, I hated that it was dark out, and going to stranger's houses, but I did like the candy! Halloween is not celebrated in Romania we celebrated the day of the dead, I have some hazy memories of the day. Massive amounts of people would migrate to cemeteries and put flowers and candles around the graves of loved ones. Though the roots of the holiday are just as creepy, as a child, seeing all those hundreds of candles in the dark, and remembering our elders, hearing stories of who they were.....well, it was way less scary.

My displeasure with the massive amounts of candy given to my children on this day, has increased every year. So this year, instead of trick-or-treating, we did a family party. What's a family party? Well, we sort of made it up. I got the kids each a small toy (legos for the boys and some fairy figurine for Bella) along with a chocolate bar (I love enjoy life's)and an organic lollipop. The all had to perform for Grandma Mary, Toby, and I. We set up a stage, complete with a microphone and speaker. We had a blast, and still got too much sugar! I made some donuts (yes, I'll post the recipe sometime) and we ended it with us all dancing. Much better than trick or treating. It will be a tradition. I decided to wear the very same costume, this year, that I wore 11 years ago, the first day that Toby referred to me as "his girlfriend". It still fits :)

Mommy the school girl (there's a sentimental story to that), Bella the purple princes, Zaya the little ninja, Isaac Darth Vader, and Daddy the big ninja!

I make scones once in a while. They have vegetable shortening, so it is more of a treat than something that I consider healthy. Nonetheless, it's super easy to have handy on those morning when we are running late. And my oldest, and the most difficult to feed, Isaac likes the chocolate chip version, so I make em from time to time.

What I love about these scones is that I can make them with anything. It is the great thing about scones! add fruit to the batter or chocolate chips....or lemon shaving and poppy seeds. The different flavors are a very long list. I also use a scone tray it's cast iron with a coat of non stick (yes, I know). I find it helpful in gluten free baking to have a mold, because often times the batter is runny.

This recipe has no xanthan gum, which i prefer. I made this one with thinly sliced apples that I poured some lemon juice and mixed some coconut crystals with cinnamon powder and then just topped it off on the scone before putting it in the oven, I also sprinkle more coconut palm sugar on top (same thing as the coconut crystals)....because I believe in using less sugar in the batter, and just sprinkling on top. You taste it better.

Gluten Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Scones!

Preheat oven to 400
prepare scone dish (or baking pan)

dry ingredients
1/2 c of garbonzo/fava bean flour (you can use bob's, but I like to mill and mix my own with my vita mix 1c garbonzo to 3/4 c fava)
1/2 c of quinoa flour (grinding your own, saves lots of money)
1/2 c of buckwheat flour (read above)
1/4 c of ground chia seeds (I grind mine in our coffee grinder)
2t of baking powder
1t of baking soda
a dash of salt
1/2c of coconut crystals
1T of vanilla extract (I like to make my own)

mix thoroughly and set aside 1c of coconut milk mixed with 1T of apple cider vinegar (this will curdle)

add 1/2c of vegetable shortening mix with a mixer until there are little crumbles
add the 1c of curdled  and add 3/4 c of chocolate chips.... Put in pan and sprinkle with coconut sugar on top...

this happens to be thinly sliced apples with sprinkled coconut crystals on top

bake for 20-25 minutes (I need 22 minutes in my oven)

Once done, they will be soft, so let them sit for 5 minutes before removing....place on wire rack and let them cool all the way down...they will harden....Enjoy!!!

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Hummus and the family

I suspect that the emotions surrounding advocating for my children will never truly be a stoic experience. But I am praying that some of those intense feelings and reactions that occur within me (I have never been one for internalizing feelings, I'm more of a speak now, regret later, sort of gal :( will become less so, as I rest in the Lord.  Our oldest son has an IEP. For those of you that aren't sure what that is, it stands for Individual Education Plan, meaning Isaac has needs and issues that go beyond typical peers, his age. As a result, I must advocate for him. He has a team that meets and we discuss his needs, what services he qualifies, etc. It is an exhausting push...pull....balancing act. Bureaucracy reigns supreme in the public school system. Whines about funding, attempts to withdraw services because the child is actually gaining ground (after regressing without the needed services), are all moves that are choreographed in this dance that we do with the public school. It has been 5 years of a never ending amounts of meetings and advocating. Today was no exception. Just when you hear that your son will FINALLY get a much needed service, you hear suggestions that he may benefit in a classroom setting that would work on his social behavior. So I am trying to unwind from listening to input that I did not want and do not agree with...at all. I am not looking for the school to teach my son to be typical...or them to help me parent. I am wanting them to support him in a typical classroom so that he can be more successful....which is what he has been doing the past month....with the support now intact. It continues to be a difficult and shaky road for me. I do not yet have a team that I believe wants the best for Isaac. I still see bureaucracy and that is very difficult as a mother. Isaac will have his current support , which was my big desire. And he does happen to have the most incredible teacher that I have ever come across, so my heart is full of gratitude.

I would have never guessed that the fight in me, that I almost seem to have been born with, would actually serve a purpose in my life....to fight for my kids..... but it seems to have. That same fight is brewing within me to sustain the long journey of adoption that awaits us. My blog has been one of very impersonal post with recipes. This will no longer be how I blog.

I love food. I love nutrition. I love educating in those areas. That has come easily to me. My schooling is coming along well (in case you were wondering) and I will continue to write about food, nutrition, recipes...but I will be adding our adoption process and my motherhood tales, tying them all together,  with my faith.

If can boast of many things that seem to come easily, being a mother is NOT one of them. When the bible tells of boasting of our weaknesses because it is when we are weak, that Christ is strong, it was surely referring to Cristina's mothering. I want it to be clear that I am not very confident in this area. It does not come easily or naturally for me. It sure seems to for others, but I will boast of my weakness, because any strength in this area, surely is evidence of the invisible working through me.


This week I sent off my paperwork to the Romanian embassy in D.C.  I will then wait to hear back from Romania in regards to my Romanian citizenship. They will either reinstate it (my hope).....or I will have to jump many more hoops to reapply for that citizenship. I am praying this matter doesn't take months. In the meantime, I still have not heard back from USCIS (not so long ago it was referred to as INS) regarding my green card. I was on the phone with them this morning. It seems that my wait can be 3 1/2 months! Until the matter of my citizenship is resolved, the home-study will have to wait. I am praying I don't have to wait an exacerbate amount of time for Romania's response. So here I am typing away.



In food news. Toby and I did a veggie type cleanse last week....it was refreshing. I learned a whole bunch about my body's relationship and reaction to carbs/sugar. I have a diet with very little processed food....my baking is gluten free and made with coconut crystals (low glycerin palm sugar)....yet, I must confess, my body has a very strong reaction to any sugar, period. I have terrible cravings, as a result, and then my body is sent into an insulin roller coaster ride....I didn't realize how sensitive I am. I am the same way with caffeine. I hate the way it makes my body feel! I can barely ever tolerate it. Who knew?


I make hummus a whole lot in our house. It is a simple dip. I am hoping that at some point, my children will want to try it. But as of now, Toby and I, are the ones that enjoy it. It's a basic recipe and I really do eye ball the measurements. I blend the beans in my vita mix, but you can blend in a blender, or food processor, depending on your texture preference. 


I like to buy my grains and beans in bulk. I think it is just a better idea and it's much cheaper to make garbanzo beans from dry, than get them in a can (who knows how long they've been in a can and what has leaked in the beans), but I know we are a very busy society. I typically will soak my beans(a cups worth of dry beans) for a day or two, it makes all the difference! Why soak beans? Beans have an outer layer of indigestible sugars, tannins, phytic acid and tryspin inhibitors. This outer layer is the root cause of intestinal gas. I then will either stick them in my pressure cooker or a regular pot and boil them till they're ready (mushy)....wait till they're luke warm and then put in my vita mix


2c cooked beans (or a can of canned)
1 medium garlic clove (or two small)
1/2t of tahini (I usually put in 1/4c of sesame seeds, since my vita mix crushes em into tahini)
2T of extra virgin olive oil

1T of lemon juice or half a fresh lemon squeezed
1T of cumin
1t of turmeric
a few pieces of chopped onion
and I usually add some greens (like spinach or kale leaves)
I fill the container with water till it almost covers the beans (this really is a trial and error experience to get the right thickness you want)

I add salt as I blend...because it varies, but i start off with 1T of it....which is usually enough

add some oil and sprinkle some turmeric on top...voila!

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Adoption and tinctures

This year's family portrait, next year, I'm hoping there will be two more little girls!

 My life has been super busy!!! I assumed that once the kids were in school, I would have all these hours in the day to clean my house (how clean can it really get?) and stay on top of laundry, dinner, homework, and dishes. I had this completely distorted view of what "life with all kids in school" would be like.

A few weeks into the kids' school, I realized that I was very very wrong. My house is actually full of more clutter and crumbs than ever before. We had a nasty gnat infestation, that I am still trying to recover from. I hid my bananas in the microwave (which I rarely use) and oven to try to escape the numerous gnats that landed on them. I covered the harvested green tomatoes and covered them over. The few hours I have are full of partially touched on attempts to complete (laundry and clean counters are last battles, I must acknowledge).

I also added two new events to focus my time and energy on. Adopting internationally out of Romania, and working on my schooling degree. Both, I have longed for in my heart for many years. And this seemed like the right time. I am wondering if I have bit more than I can chew! We have just begun our home study and I just turned in my application to renew my green card. I will then need to apply for my Romanian citizenship followed by getting my American citizenship. It will allow my to get my visa. It is a long, bureaucratic process. At times it feels daunting....and I have begun to raise funds. This is the site that I have created to help us. Free gifts are always humbling to recieve....but we are grateful for the support that we have gotten all along the way!

I have not been able to sit and read and study, like I envisioned, either. Sneaking in time to focus on my studies has been very difficult! I am attempting to get my nutritional consultant degree. The anatomy and physiology part is intimidating. I will truck on. It is my desire to get my degree and begin a practice next year. We'll see.

So I will close out with Tinctures. I have just begun to dabble in them. I just finished a batch of echinacea tincture. I started to grow the plant from seed this last spring. I loved the site with the information on it. I have since given out some of the final product to friends I know that are battling cancer. We shall see what happens. Tinctures are simple. It is just a long soaking process with the plant exposed to alcohol or water. The alcohol preserves the nutrients that are pulled in the soaking process. I simple chopped up my echinacea leaves and part of the root and stuck it in bacardi 151 for 7 weeks, occasionally shaking it. 

I happened to make some vanilla extract at the same time

happy tincture making everyone!! I will let you know how my friends battling cancers do...But I have already taken some due to sick symptoms, or headaches.....and have felt great, and not gotten sick :) Pin It Now!

Grain-less, Vegan, Gluten free, Double Chocolate Chip Cupcake/Muffins

It seems like summer came and left in a very short and abrupt manner. Usually by the time that winter rolls close, I'm ready to switch gears, to inside activities and blazing fires to keep the viscous weather amusing to watch out my window. And not terrifying because the threat it may bring. In the middle of -50 weather, I am always aware of how brutal the elements can be to us vulnerable humans, when I'm in my home staring out my windows as warmth from my oven and fireplace fill my house. But this year, I'm not quite ready.  Currently I'm typing away, as I see the pounding fall wind, have it's way with my kale, chard, and the few other items that remain from my constant months of cutting.  I will miss my garden. The carrots and potatoes are still needing to be harvested. And the tomatoes are still giving me sweet treats to munch on, freeze, or to juice. Tomatoes from a grocery story are a terrible representation of what the fruit actually tastes like. I grew my garden with organic heirloom seeds and tested my tomatoes with two kinds of seed view...the hybrids (done through regular, selective breeding, not gmo, but organic) and heirloom (seeds from varieties that have been around for a long time).....there are two sides debating the quantity and quality of each. I will no longer grow anything but the heirloom! It has been such fun seeing colors and odd shapes, plants I never find at that grocery store place that I'm dreading having to go to during the winter :(

my bounty

But onward and upward I strive to climb. My children have all been in school almost 3 weeks! Yaye!! Except that I still haven't felt that freedom, yet, that comes from having some free time. Why? Well because I have had to go and deal with behavior issues from my oldest and youngest kids...my boys. Parenting is a humbling, humbling, job. I was way better at it when I didn't have children and I saw how other people "where doing it wrong". How hard can it be? I'd think, watching a child throw a fit, and wishing the parent would just pick up the child and spank. Needless to say, I'm eating massive amounts of Humble Pie, and I think it has gluten and casein in it, cause I constantly feel crazy and sick. 

I have also started school...I am studying online through this college....I am beginning with the nutritional consultant program. I spent several hours last night studying all the different parasites and yeast overgrowth that can and often does occur in the gut, that goes undiagnosed, and untreated in America....I am pretty convinced I have all of them! (yep, I think that way). The amount of material and information I need to absorb is overwhelming. But what really overwhelms me is the research documents/case studies that I'll have to put together. In case you, the reader, haven't noticed...punctuality, and sentence structure...is not my strong suit....what can I say? I love dots!

So I've been dabbling in tinctures. I grew echinacea this spring, and the plant just has been happy and growing, so I will post what I'm doing with it, soon.

In the meantime I will divulge the recipe you came for. I have been trying to bake just the right chocolate muffin....for years!!! (I think I'm going to use this recipe for brownies, if anyone beats me to it, let me know how they come out) I came up with this recipe tonight, so that I could have something to stick in my children's lunches tomorrow (I know, right?!). But since I have a great amount of zucchini, I feel good about this judgement call. No zantham gum or starch flours, because, I just don't think either is great for your body (I have deep suspicions about where zantham gum is grown)

Side note, I'm still trying to figure out, why my first cupcake had a piece of glass in it? I may never know the answer to the disturbing mystery, but it happened. I bit in the cupcake and a hard piece was in my gooey middle experience....I was confident that it was an isolated peice of glass...but where did it come from?

Double Chocolatey Goodness Muffins, oh wait, Cupcakes?

So here's what I did... set oven to 350 and set aside 1 1/4c of coconut milk (I used So Deliscious) and add a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar, the milk will curdle,  (voila, vegan "buttermilk", without puss or blood:) set aside.

Dry ingredients to mix

1/3c of garbanzo/fava bean flour mix (you can use Bob's mill brand) but I simply ground full beans in my vitamix and have a 3/4c of fava to 1c of garbanzo bean mixture, waiting for me in the fridge

1/3c of buckwheat flour (again I grind mine in the vitamix)

1/3c of quinoa flour (it really saves you money to grind your own)

1/4c of ground chia seeds or ground flax (again I recomend grinding your own in a coffee grinder)

1/2c of cocoa powder

1/2c of coconut palm sugar/crystals (low glycemic)

1t of baking soda (aluminum free)

2t of baking powder (see above)

1/2t of salt
mix your dry ingredients nicely....then add

1T of vanilla extract (I make my own...sooo easy, I'll post how with the echinacea tincture blog)

1/2c of coconut oil melted (you can use olive, if you don't have coconut)

now grab a blender (or a grater) and mix some of the curdled milk with a half a medium sized zucchini....(I tend to use about a cup cubed size).... once all blended...add to the batter and mix thoroughly....

scoop up in tins and bake for 22 minutes (fill tins about 3/4 full, they will rise)... this batter made me 15 muffins (be sure to fill the spots without batter, with water, so the heat distribute evenly) ...shout out to my friend, Tiffany Seale for that great tip! 

It's been a full day, good night

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Gluten Free Vegan Cupcake I Stumbled Upon

Today was a lovely day....I woke up and had enough of my juicer this morning. We've had a cheap model (I think it's the hamilton model) for almost a year, and before that we had another cheap centrifuge model purchased at a store I rarely go to, because  I loath it (walmart). But hey, they served their purposes. These past few weeks, the juice has been getting chunks and I have to was out the clogged screen, only to be further annoyed, when it clogs back up again, after I attempt to juice anything.

We've had another family live with us, for the past month. It has been an extremely easy, and pleasant experience. I kinda held my breath for the first part of the transition, but I didn't need to, it went smooth. Toby and I are drawn to communal living type environments. An environment where people work together to accomplish good for the great. A group that is more about working together, than accomplishing for self. I know it's ideological, but I can't shift from the longing, regardless of getting a tad bit burned in the process.

So one of the cool things about this other family, is that they eat vegan and mostly raw. It was refreshing to have them sample food and have them eat my recipes, while sharing theirs. I guess it was just super nice to have someone else in the kitchen, even though there were so many of us. I love having someone to hang out with, while I prepare food....it soothes.... I got to learn a few tricks from Tiffany, which I will carry with me for a while. I learned to add water in empty muffin tins, so that it bakes evenly. I learned that when making enchiladas, taking the tortillas and dunking them in enchilada sauce is the key to having your enchiladas have the perfect moisture! (also, my enchilada sauce recipe is pretty spicy) along the way I purchased a spiralizer (making noodles out of zucchini is amazing!) and that is what leads me to my juicer purchase....I bought the omega 8004, after much consideration.....I'll have to let you guys know how it goes

I kinda stumbled on this recipe....I was trying to create a whole grain muffin that is lighter than my current recipe...also I wanted to use up some of the amazing zucchini that I got from my grandmother.....but in the process, I realized that it is very much a cupcake batter...so I will use it for cupcakes in a couple of days for my birthday treat.

The Accidental Vanilla Cupcake
preheat oven to 350
line muffin tins (I'm guessing about 24 cupcakes, but i could be wrong)

first get a cup of coconut milk and add 1 Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar (the milk will curdle, voila, buttermilk)

mix these dry ingredients:
1/3c quinoa flour (yep, I just buy quinoa in bulk and grind in my vita mix, if I have time, I prefer to       sprout my quinoa and dehydrate it, then grind it)
1/3c buckwheat flour (same as above)
1/3c millet flour (same as above :)
1/2c of garbanzo flour/fava bean flour mix (I grind my own beans, and mix a 3/4c fave to 1c garb.        bean combo), you can get bob's red mill brand
1/4c of ground chia (I use a coffee grinder)
1c of coconut crystals
3t baking powder
1/2t of baking soda
pinch of salt (1/2t-1/4t)

in a blender combine about 3/4 of a typical small zucchini. I used half a big garden one :) and 1/3c of the coconut milk....mix thoroughly.....

add wet ingredients

2T of vanilla extract
1/2c of melted coconut oil
the rest 2/3c of "buttermilk" coconut milk...

bake for 20-22 minutes...let cool for 15 minutes then frost!
I happened to just top off with a few chocolate chips...

Everyone loved these....Hope you do too...
 







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Gluten free Vegan Sweet Potato Waffles with strawberries from my garden...

Today we were able to do something that we've waited over a year to do. We were able to go outside and pick enough strawberries from our strawberry patch, to put on waffles!!! Well, we decided to do waffles over pancakes after the picking was done. There is nothing more fulfilling than going outside and getting your food from your garden...nothing.

We have been juicing from the garden every morning. Typically Toby and I prefer to wake up to a glass of freshly juiced greens. Now, we have been able to get it from our garden, and let me tell you, I feel like I can fly! The energy and cleansing power is impossible to explain, you just have to experience it.

A few days ago, I juiced some greens for my oldest son, who has gut issues. I haven't juiced for him for a while, and I was wondering why.....Well, on the second morning, his whole body detoxed. He spent some time on the toilet in the afternoon, went to bed later in the afternoon, woke up with a slight fever...watched TV for an hour, then promptly went back to bed, sleeping over 12 hours. He woke up fine, and clear headed. He is able to express himself and his needs so much clearer. I am a huge advocate of juicing. I think it's an amazing gift to the body....but back to my waffles...side note, the coconut sauce should be made at least 6 hours before using, because it needs time to set

You will need a good waffle iron. I have mine, and it's used a few times a year....but it does fulfill my kitchen gadget addiction (I'm pretty sure I have one). I have a list of needs, wheat-grass manual juicer, food processor (nope, I don't have one), a canning pot, etc.....I bought a yam/sweet potato (I don't think there's a difference) a few days ago.... poked a few holes in the skins and baked about an hour and voila! no need for canned anything!

 MMWAFFLES

dry ingredients
1 1/2 c of quinoa flour
1 1/2 c of buckwheat flour (i strongly suggest using a mill to grind fresh grains, I use my vitamix)
3t of baking powder
1t of baking soda
3T of ground chia (I use my coffee grinder)
mix well, then add wet
2T of oil
1-2T of agave, of coconut nectar  (love this)
3c of coconut milk mixed with 3T of organic apple cider vinegar (this will cause the "milk" to curdle and turn into "buttermilk")
about 1/2 c of sweet potato mixed with a dash of coconut milk, in a blender (i use this to make a creamy mixture
mix all ingredients well, you want a nice runny medium thick batter.

spray waffle iron with oil, and dump about 1/2 c of batter.....

now, I had some coconut frosting left in the fridge, from another dessert project I made earlier this week...it is a great cream recipe because it keeps for a long time in the fridge (1 month in the fridge)...and, it uses very little sweetener....you can find this great recipe, among many other wonderful treats! in this book..... in a vita mix, or blender....

Vanilla frosting/vanilla sauce

1 1/2c of coconut milk
3/4c of dry rice milk powder (they have this at sunshines, locally)
1/4c of agave, or the coconut nectar
1T vanilla extract
1 1/2 c of melted coconut oil
2T fresh lemon juice

mix first 4 ingredients and slowly add half the coconut oil, then half the lemon, the rest of the coconut oil then the remaining lemon juice....keep in an air tight container in the fridge.....

Enjoy!!

This is a delphinium from my garden.....the picture cannot match the beauty of this flower in reality....it is iridescent and luminous. It glistens several shades of color. The middle of the blossom looks like a bumble bee.....I went outside and cut some blooms, stuck them in a vase, and now.....it makes me happy to look at them....

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Are Them Gluten Free Vegan Homemade Protien Bars?

(I started writing this blog a month and a half ago, and even though, it's out of sequence, the recipe is good:)

Isaac, storm trooper and Bella at the Autism 5k walk....a cause close to us!

I am slowly beginning to wrap my motivation and head around the goal of the finish line in late September, some time. At that time I will have completed my second marathon. But it is a challenge, starting up my routine runs. I was able to log in 4 miles on Sunday and 2 today. I took my beloved pooch, Lexi, whom will not accompany me on any run longer than a couple of miles (nothing fun about trying to coax my dog along). Speaking of running, I'm currently reading a book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.....it is interesting, and I am hoping to feel motivated and fall in love with running when I am done. We shall see. One thing that I am certain of, I don't like running on boring routes. I like flat terrain for only so long, then I want the challenge of making it to the top and finding my way down the hill. This love, is a new discovery, and I am pretty fortunate, because alaskan terrain gives me plenty of mixed terrain and trails to kick my tushy!

This brings me to another observation. Since becoming someone who runs (I'm not sure I'd call myself a "runner", quiet yet), I have noticed what other runners put in their bodies...Now, I'm not judging.....but boy, it really doesn't seem kind to me, at all...to put crazy gels and sports drinks, and justify eating fast food, because you run. That just doesn't seem healthy to me at all. Not just the food, but the mindset. At mile 23 of my marathon, last year, they had a bloody mary stand, and there were more than a few runners taking shots!  I give kudos to the tomato juice, but when you're body is taxed and dehydrated, why would you drink alcohol?

I am pretty sure my chia seed addiction carried me through my training and race day, last year. And it will again, this year.....

This is a recipe for some protein bars. my kids will eat them (if I leave out the goji berries, which i won't, so they pick them out :0)....These are great for on the go, and super tasty. I have not liked the protein bars in the store, for a very long time...

Gimme Some Protein Bars

 2 1/2 c of gluten free oats
1 c of dried fruit (I use a mixture of goji berries and raisins)
1/2 c of almond butter or peanut butter
1/2 c of pureed banana or applesauce
1/3 c of hemp seeds (hello protein!)
1/3 c of crushed nuts (I used pecans in the current batch)
1/3 c of chia seeds
1 scoop of sprouted brown rice protein powder (optional)
1/4 c of maples syrup (or honey, or agave)
2T of vanilla extract
pinch of salt

mix all ingredients in a bowl....I use my hands for this..... you will need to squeeze the mixture in the size balls you want...and squeeze tight (or you'll get more of a trail mix than a bar ;)

I dehydrate my bars overnight on 110, but I imagine it would be fine to put in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes, then check every 5 minutes till done....

I like mine to have a little moisture inside still...mmmm



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Rain, Rain....oh Bah, vegan French Onion Soup Delight.

It has been raining for the past couple of days....In a fit of complete overwhelmingness, I took out the dvd player from my older son's room. It is summer in Alaska!! and a completely unacceptable thing, is to see my kids indoors playing Ds' and watching television! (winter activity) So I have felt like a judge and referee the past couple of days. (no tv? lot's of interactions) I am a little tired of the rain. And of all of us cooped up in the house, though.

 Some new events in our home are....we have another family living with us for the next several weeks. They have the whole basement to themselves. It has been an easy transition. This is our second time hosting a family, and the previous experience left everyone involved a whole lot more damaged than when we ever expected. But I didn't want that experience to keep me from doing something that I feel we will be doing for the rest of our lives (living with others in community). So when the opportunity to have another family stay with us, presented itself, well, how could we not say a resounding "yes!" The family sharing our house with us eats a whole lot like us, so that has made it a whole lot easier!!! Bella, my daughter, asked me "mom, do they eat like us?" a few days ago.....it made me smile....my daughter is ever aware that we don't eat what the typical American family eats....sometimes it's hard, when you want to fit in...and your mother doesn't think eating processed foods should be the compromise......sigh...

On the plus side, my garden (along with the massive weeds) are growing at rapid rates.... strawberries should be ready in a few weeks, kale should be harvested any day now, and my greenhouse looks like a jungle, as I have tried to use up every available space! I have 20 tomatoes several peppers, 7 cukes, 5 corn, habenero's, and herbs that I love (the basil is already being used)....it can only get better. This year is my first year using my greenhouse, and possibly, my last....as there is this growing longing for a larger garden and for goats and chickens to take care of....My dog Lexi, got into my newly sprouting baby carrots, and destroyed a bed...I can't tell you how bummed out it made me, and how I wished I could've caught her! Since I didn't, she is happily prancing outside following me while I check on the gardens, unaware that she commited a mortal sin....

 So today I made a recipe from here....I only slightly altered the soup to be vegan.....It is by far, my favorite soup. I shall be making it again, and again.....and again....

Vegan French Onion Soup
1/2 c of earth balance (you can use your favorite oil, I used the soy free earth balance)
3 large onions diced (I gotta wear goggles for this)
1 carton of mushrooms (I love the meaty flavor and I think it complements the onions)
fresh sprigs of thyme
a couple of bay leaves
salt and pepper to taste
1 c of dark red wine
1-2 quarts of veggie broth (make sure it doesn't have "natural flavoring" aka msg on ingredient lists, or make your own :)
a few slices of gf bread
sprinkles of daiya cheese

put first 5 ingredients in a pot and let simmer till onion is tender and caramelized (30-40 minutes depending on your onion cut)

meanwhile preheat oven to 350 and spread some earth balance on your bread....bake bread with butter for 5-10 minutes and then add sprinkles of daiya cheese.....

after it's the onions' ready, add 1 c of dark wine and let simmer till the wine evaporates....mmm... go ahead and add 1-2 quarts of veggie broth and bring to boil.....then reduce heat

cube up the gf toast with daiya and stick desired amount in bottom of a bowl.... scoop up some soup and slowly eat, so you can fully enjoy the extreme flavor delight.....yum!!!

I can almost smell the soup....mmmm...

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Triple Layer Bombiliscious Vegan Gluten free Chocolate Cake

I have been planting and digging in the dirt for several glorious weeks...my feet are died black from the dirt I dig in (I tend to wear flip-flops no matter what I'm doing).  And the dirt underneath my fingernails reappears, no matter how many times I was and clean it out. I truly love summers, here, in Alaska. In fact, I'm not sure anyone loves summers more than those in Alaska.

nana, my son, zaya, and thanksgiving

So, this summer I have decided to get a couple of chickens and a couple of turkeys. I figured, since we're gonna farm, it's kinda important to see what my butchering capabilities are. Fortunately I have a cousin who is a professional at it, already, so I can have some much needed help, and I can learn from. I am learning about breeds, and how they grow, and feed. Pretty fascinating.

My husband just put on a movie called "God of Wonders" on netflix, and I am getting very distracted, easily......Simply stunning....all the life that surrounds us, without notice...

So, my kids had their birthdays a few weeks back and I wanted to make them cakes that would be good. Now, my issue with gluten free cakes is that they tend to be dry (unless it's loaded with starch flour, which I try not to use). And I also like to not use zanthan gum, so you have me using my two favorite flours a lot, quinoa, and buckwheat....when you combine them, you don't need zanthan gum.  I made a raw cheesecake per my daughter, Bella's request.....and I baked a triple layer chocolate cake with chocolate frosting...ummmmm, it was soooo good....here's the recipe! You need 3 round 9 inch pans.

Triple Layer Bomblishous Cake
preheat oven to 350

mix dry ingredients
1/2 c quinoa flour
1/2 c buckwheat flour
1/4 c garbanzo/fava flour (bob has a mix, but i grind my own using a 1c garbanzo to 3/4c of fava mix
2T of ground chia seeds
1/2 c of cocoa powder
1t baking soda
1t baking powder
1/2-1/3c of coconut crystals (or sucanant)
pinch of salt, about 1/2t

add, 3/4c of coconut milk to 1T of apple cider vinegar....leave for a moment, the milk curdles (voila! "buttermilk")
 1/4c of applesauce
1/3c of oil
1t of vanilla

 your batter should be soupy.....pour batter in prepared pans (I finally had to spray on olive oil, so that my nonstick pans would stop sticking!!)

bake for about 15-20 minutes...let rest for a few minutes...pray, and flip over..

 Here's the recipe I used for the sugary frosting...it's from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over The World by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1/4 c earth balance softened
1/4c of vegetable shortening (I know...but it is a cake!!)
1/2 c of cocoa powder
2 1/2 c of powdered sugar (gasp!)
3T of coconut milk
1 1/2t pure vanilla extract

mix first two ingredients till well combined...add cocoa powder, then slowly add sugar in 1/2 c batches...and add milk with vanilla extract slowly.....mix till fluffly...


This is one of my favorite cakes....moist, sugary, yum!!! But, of course, a treat...not the norm...

cake did not last long!

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It's been a muffin long time!

I have been enjoying spring in Alaska.....immensely!!! This winter has been brutal. The elements have not been kind. So I feel that somehow spring early is an attempt to make up for it (thanks Fairbanks). We don't usually see dry ground as fast or as soon as we have this year...so yaye. The official "it won't snow or freeze anymore" date is June (I know!!), so I have to wait until then to plant my garden. This year I was able to start my garden from seeds, I ordered my seeds from here. I love heirloom, organic seeds.  The whole process of seeds planted and food growing is extremely fascinating to me. I am in awe of it. So here I am waiting for June, babying my plants that are wanting away from the lights and out in the garden.  I love the hope that fills the heart during spring, it is glorious!


So I make these muffins a whole lot!!! I bake em for the kids to eat in the mornings on the weekends, when Toby and I are hoping to sleep in. I also bake em for lunches, or a quick, on the go, snack. Isaac and Bella love em. I came up with this recipe after a girls luncheon. My goal is to have a good muffin that is not loaded with sugar. This is one good muffin. I sometimes bake them in the really large muffin tins, and sometimes the regular...you pick... What I like about this recipe is that it doesn't use xanthan gum. Now I do use it from time to time, but I am skeptical about it. It's one of those ingredients that pops up in weird spots, and that is always a warning light for me. I also love the little amount of sugar, because sugar is bad, period. (meaningful redundancy)





One good Muffin
preheat oven for 350


wet ingredients
1/3 c of creamy peanut butter
1/3 c of applesauce
1 lg banana or 2 sm banana's, pureed in blender

mix the wet ingredients till a nice thick paste forms...in a bowl, mix dry ingredients
1c quinoa flour (for the added benefits, i sprout, dehydrate and grind my flour, but you certainly don't have to ;)
1c of buckwheat flour (read above)
2t of baking powder
1/4t of baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4c of sucanant or coconut crystals or palm sugar


mix 1/2c plus 2T of coconut milk with 1T of apple cider vinegar and let sit for a moment....it curdles, just like buttermilk!



mix the wet with the dry and add curdled milk (I also add a handful of enjoy life, mini chocolate chips)....


pour batter to the top on muffin lined or oiled trays.... (I usually get 10 regular muffins :) bake 20-30 minutes, depending on your oven...

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Kneading Some Gluten free Bread

My beautiful kids..Isaac, Bella, and Zaya

Some life events that have occurred since my last post....We've decided to work on preparing our luxurious home to sell...it is our dream home, but the idea of finding some land, building a much more modest home (our current home is really big :0) and having it be completely self sustaining appeals to us...I am a reformed city girl (I loved my fashion, parties, and make-up), so this is a pretty big redirection of my life, than what I imagined...to say the least. We want several acres to mostly farm...and feed a lot of people. Be more involved with WOOFing (google it). To be able to travel is a big desire I have. To live completely debt free. A better plan, than the current path we're on.

Our beloved Great Dane died, early January. I was completely devastated by the whole awful experience. I learned how much our 4 legged companions can teach us about unconditional love. He was completely kind and faithful, even though i was not. We got a new puppy, Lexi. And she is reaping from the lessons I learned from Wasgo, and am not going to repeat, with her. Btw, she is an incredible dog that I have become very attached to....I can't imagine our family without her.

We are pursuing adoption....I have yet to know for certain when, or how we will be finding out beloved little girl, but it will happen. We are going through the foster care system locally...and we are looking into international adoption....we'll see, I will keep you posted!

Confession: out of all the kitchen creations that I make, my passion is bread. Now I went a month of basically eating raw, and it was nice to know that I am capable of preparing food in that state, but I get excited when the perfect loaf of bread comes out of an oven. Maybe it's because I remember my mother baking bread when I was very little, I'm not sure exactly why, but i get a thrill, baking bread. Since I now eat Gluten free, the challenge of finding a good bread recipe still persists, and the hope it will come out good (oh soooo many have not) still leaves me in suspense. The quest I've been on is to find a bread recipe without any starch. Gluten free bread mixes and recipes do an awful lot of starch flours. Starch is broken by the body as sugar...sugar elevates our blood levels and taxes our body's system, if in the constant elevated state (as in, eating sugar often, and lots, which is quite typical in America) your body stops burning fat....and starts storing it, among many, many, many other issues that sugar brings to our health....sooo, all that to say, I don't want starch flours in my bread.

I am not sure I will ever have a gluten free recipe that I like more than this recipe I am gonna share. It may be possible, things change all the time (I'm learning this can be exciting, not scary), but I doubt it.

I can't take credit for this recipe. It is the lovely Ali's creation. I plan on making cinnamon rolls with this recipe because you actually need to kneed it. (Pretty cool, eh?) This bread rises wonderfully, and tastes very much like whole wheat bread......YUMM-0

Kneading GF bread
preheat oven with bread pan inside the oven at 350

mix
2 /2 c of pretty warm water with:
2 1/4 t of yeast (or a packet)
2 t of maple syrup (or whatever sweetener
SET ASIDE ABOUT 10-15 MINUTES...you'll see bubble form on top, it means the yeast is activated...mix dry ingredients while you wait....once you see the bubbles are formed add:
1/3 c of ground chia seeds (I use my coffee grinder)
1/3 c of whole psyllium husk
let stand 2-3 minutes...no longer....then mix with dry ingredients (I use my kitchen aid) with your hands works just fine, also.

Dry ingredients:
1 c teff flour (Ethiopian grass seed, I grind it in my vita mix, it is super small already)
1 c sorghum flour (make sure it's organic, this is a gmo product otherwise)
1/2 c of brown rice flour (I used sweet brown rice)
1/2 c of cornmeal (this is a must organic product, I buy organic popcorn and grind it...you guessed it, in my vita mix, because corn is sooo heavily genetically modified, organic is the only way to go)
1t salt (mix together)

Once the ingredients are mixed well (you may need to add a little more water) bring out the loaf pan and gently place dough in pan, smoothing out corners till it lays evenly flat....cover with kitchen towel and let rise 20-30 minutes....it should be nice and doubled....place in oven for 50-60 minutes....the center should be 180 degrees....I have forgotten to pull my bread out, and not burned it....So it is very forgiving bread.

Once you get your bread out of the oven wrap with another kitchen towel and let cool for an hour or so.....cut and serve or cut and stick in freezer.....toast later. It will be a delish experience...

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AHHH!!!! It has taken me days, nay! Weeks to finally be able to acsess this account and resume my blogging!!! oh, I am thrilled, but still feeling the unending frustration to simply log on! *big sigh of relief*

My computer decided to not work on me, then there was paying for it to be fixed......so it has finally returned back to me, and now that I am able to do this. I will post some of the recipes for what I have been up to in the kitchen. Not long now... Pin It Now!