Scheduling Conflict

Good afternoon!! If you've found yourself here because of Pinterest or Twitter posts on gluten free, sugar free living, then welcome!  If you're here because you know I've been neglecting my blog and you're hoping for some good things, well - welcome also, and know there's more recipes coming!

I started school and decided to work outside my home a little.  All these things collided at once and my blog suffered.  I'm also starting a new business, and soon, my website will be linked here if anyone is interested - it will have a natural focus on the beginnings of life.   I may start to post bi weekly, just to slowly get back on my feet.  In the world of blogging that's almost suicide, but with everything going on, it's how things are going to work right now.  I love food, cooking and healthy living and love supporting others on the same path.  This is passion and purpose for me and tying all these things together in life seems the way for me to go.  I need to get through school and bring my business up to speed in order to complete the circle.

I was supposed to start yoga instructor training this year, but didn't have the money or time for it.  I'm considering doing that in the spring now, if possible.  It's something I've wanted to add to my life for years and the opportunities are in front of me and hopefully will be part of my life plan!

As a welcome back for anyone who was following (or would like to! just click follow! I'm also on twitter and pinterest!) I have a super easy, very surprisingly wonderful recipe for bread.  I can hear everyone thinking,  "Ugh! Bread!  So difficult!  So much wheat!  So much on the 'no' list!"   AHA!  But this one isn't!  You'll be glad you tried this one.  I was.

It has a rich 'nutty' almost rye flavor.  It's very very moist and good, but the secret is the baking time.  I will post the original recipe website, and then give you my run down as usual.

http://satisfyingeats.blogspot.com/2012/01/easiest-bread-ever.html

Easy Almond/Peanut Butter Bread

1 cup natural almond/peanut butter, smooth
3 eggs
1 Tablespoon vinegar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt (if PB already has salt, you can omit)
2 servings Stevia (to taste, more if you want sweeter bread)

1. Blend all ingredients in large bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.  
2. Pour into a loaf pan lined with foil for easy removal.  I used a 8.5X 4.5.  This makes the bread rise a little higher.
3. Bake in preheated oven at 350 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. (Times will vary based on different ovens.  Just don't over bake or it will be dry).
4. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Then remove foil and cool on rack.

First, this is such a great, satisfying bread.  Very delicious and rich.  My suggestions are such:

1. Watch your baking time like a hawk.  This is the key.  If you dry it out, it's just going to be icky and then you'll feel like it didn't turn out.  It does great right around 22-28 minutes if using a loaf pan.  I used a bundt pan (so we could have little circle sandwiches) and it required even less time, about 15 min.

2.  Use organic, no sugar added, creamy almond butter.  I know she says use peanut butter, but almond has a much lighter taste and just works really well with this particular bread.

3.  Get over the no flour aspect.  It doesn't need flour.  Really.

4.  Yes, use a little stevia even if you're going to be making ham and cheese.  It works, just trust us.

5.  Add the vinegar last.  I put all the ingredients together, mix well in my mixer and then add vinegar, mix again then dump it into the pan and into the oven stat.  Mine was pretty fluffy.  Not overmixing once the vinegar/baking soda reaction hits, is another key.  Get it blended in, then put it in the oven.  Some recipes try to replicate this by dumping a can of soda in the bread (YUCK!) but this works well, you can't taste it, and it's free of high fructose or any sugars and additives (WIN!)

Good luck and welcome back!

Free Friday - Spinach Artichoke!

You've waited TWO weeks now for this one! It's going to be great! Spinach artichoke dip. I was going to make this today, but I think my spinach has spoiled. So, instead, I will share with you the source and my recipe and hope you enjoy this amazing dish - wheat free!

Who does not LOVE spinach artichoke dip??? When you're sitting in the restaurant and see it on the menu, don't your eyes light up and think of the hearty crunch of a tortilla chip with the rich creamy goodness of cheese and spinach with a kick of tart artichoke? And then you realize you can't have it.

But I assure you, you'll be glad you saved yourself the $7.95 by NOT ordering this one at the restaurant. This recipe was adapted (from: http://www.rachaelraymag.com/recipes/rachael-ray-magazine-recipe-search/appetizer-starter-recipes/spinach-artichoke-dip )

DO NOT, and I'll repeat, DO NOT follow her recipe. Not only does it have wheat in it, it does not have cream and I assure you, like the other reviewers, you may not like it much. Also, if you were following along on Monday, you'll remember, hot mayo is worthy of the garbage can, and I refuse to ruin perfectly good spinach and cheese and artichokes to the likes of hot mayo.

For a little change up or if you're needing a main course, take this dip, add chicken and broccoli, or turkey and peas for a meal.

Spinach Artichoke dip

(adapted from the link above)

20 oz of spinach cooked down and set aside

(or you can use the 2 -10 oz boxes of frozen, but that's just gross)

4 oz butter (or coconunt oil)

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 small onion chopped

2 tBsp chopped thyme

2 tBsp grated lemon peel (can sub 1/2 oz of lemon juice)

3-4 oz of garbanzo bean flour

1 tBsp chicken flavor soup base

16 oz heavy cream

fresh ground pepper

couple pinches of nutmeg

2 cans artichoke hearts - chopped

4 oz of parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (PLUS a few generous handfuls)

8 oz of shredded mozzarella

Start with a large skillet, melt the butter OR oil over medium heat, add garlic and onion till tender - about 5 min. Stir in thyme and lemon peel. Whisk in the garbanzo flour until all the oil is soaked up and may start to clump - cook about 3 min. Gradually whisk in cream, making sure to break up all your clumps and the sauce is creamy smooth, add in the soup base, pepper and nutmeg. Continue heating on medium heat about 6-8 minutes to thicken - do NOT boil... your cream sauce will break! After it thickens, stir in 1/2 of each of the cheeses, completely melt THEN add in your spinach and artichokes. Stir well.

Preheat oven to 400f. Remove mixture from the skillet and pour into a baking dish (13x9 is fine). Sprinkle with remaining cheeses and pop into the oven for about 20 minutes. I did not use the broil method as she did because I had a glass pan. If you have a metal pan, you can go ahead and broil it. Baking kind of gives it that 'lasagne' melt together, awesomeness that you don't get from broiling though. I'd suggest the bake every time.

Serve with gluten free crackers, or use the casserole suggestions above for a meal. Either way, this recipe yields the most AMAZING, mayo free spinach artichoke dip. Your guests will swear you bought it at a restaurant and you'll know better from all the work, but it will be so worth it.

Enjoy!

Purple on Free Friday!

Here is our next Free Friday! It's sometimes hard to deal with the gluten free sugar free life, and over this past week, I've found quite a few blogs (written light years more eloquently than mine) and more people who are reaching for no wheat. It seems I'm definitely not the only one who has realized that wheat should not be such a staple in our diet. Perhaps a facet of our diet, but certainly not the main show as it tends to be now. Refer to my first post if you'd like an idea of a 'typical' American diet. It's very wheat heavy. Nutrition experts encourage people to eat a varied diet to increase vitamin and mineral intake and maximize health benefits, with emphasis on colors. So, why do we insist on continuing the old government pyramid with 12 servings of 'grains' a day - this usually equals consuming breads, pastas, and any additives in sauces and foods you didn't really know about.

After cutting grains out of my diet, I was shocked at how much better I felt. Lethargy, grogginess, depression and join pains started fading. It was an amazing transformation which was not miraculous or extreme by any means, but enough to notice that this something different was a good change for me. This may not work for everyone, but imagine the next time you snack on a candy bar only to feel tired an hour later. The body is not designed to function on empty calories and sugar, but to store those when it has a chance because it's obviously a 'treat'. Our bodies know this and react accordingly.

Today's recipe will help combat that after dinner lethargy (or lunchtime sugar crash if you prefer!). And since I'm such a fan of purple, it's so fitting that today's meal actually IS purple. LOL.

To the best of my knowledge, this is my recipe. I have adapted it from a recipe my mother made for us as a kid, and I still make it today. No internet searches were involved in the making of this meal. =) My kids do not tend to like this meal much but do tolerate it well. If you have picky kids, perhaps this won't work so well, however, it's well worth the effort to freeze in containers and take when you're in a hurry. Also, this is perfect for a nice cold winter night.

Purple Soup

1 already cooked (leftover) ham - use the bone, meat around the bone and any extra you have, a few handfuls of leftover meat is great.

1 small head of purple cabbage

2 cans cannellini beans

1/2 onion

1/2 head of garlic

handful of chopped chives

Throw all the meat into a crock pot with the spices, add about 5 oz of water, put it on high, and walk away for about 6 hours.

Chop your cabbage into small chunks, about 1" cubes - add to the crock pot after the meat is falling off the bone and can be pulled apart easily. Also, add enough water to cover the meat and cabbage. Replace the lid, cook another 2 hours on high.

1 hour before serving, add the beans. They only need to be heated, but the longer they sit, the more purple they turn!

Salt and pepper to taste, serve hot. Goes well with a side of brie or sprinkled with some walnuts for some crunch.

Freezes wonderfully, put it in individual containers to pop in the freezer and grab when you're in a hurry but need a healthy lunch!

The perfect purple soup!