Fresh Pumpkin Pie (gluten and dairy free)

The Thanksgiving holiday is over and Christmas cheer is in full blast. Parties, gifts, and special treats. This recipe I created this past week for Thanksgiving, but it can be made again and again this holiday season to enjoy the cheer and flavors. I understand. I get it. It's hard to sit by during the holidays and say "no" to so many desserts and comfort foods. My drive behind finding a wholesome and delicious recipe is out of my own selfish desire to indulge in the results. I love when I can make a favorite dessert without guilt and know that this dessert is not going to make me sick or manifest regrets in any way. It is a beautiful masterpieces of great flavors and holiday charm.

I created this recipe out of love for wanting to use my fresh pureed pumpkin. So many pumpkin pie recipes call for the canned pumpkin (no offense to "the can" intended). Yet, there is just something special about using fresh pumpkin in your baking and cooking. It is fresher, has so much flavor and can go a long way. Once you dive in and bake the pumpkin, I guarantee you won't go back to the can. And, not to mention you can get around 8 cups of blended pumpkin after just baking two medium pumpkins. It goes a long way, and it's fun to find ways to use and enjoy it. I think some pumpkin scones are in my near future!

The gluten-free crust is one that you do not need to put a ton of time into and can be made on an individual pie basis. It turns out crispy and flaky in it's own gluten-free way. It is the perfect amount of sweet and crispy to be paired with such a rich and cool pumpkin pie.

This pie can be made vegan if you omit the egg. I did you an egg on this one, but if you are trying to follow a vegan diet, then just forget the egg and the pie will turn out fine. The egg is really just added as a "binding" agent and to help the pie rise a little bit more. Without the egg it will just settle a little more and stick be thick and creamy.

Fresh Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Crust:

1/2 cup of white rice flour (or I have used fresh ground buckwheat flour as well)

1 cup of sweet sorghum flour

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

3 TB of sucanat (unrefined sugar cane juice)

2 TB of apple cider vinegar
(may need 1 TB of pure water if the dough is too dry)

1/2 ts. of sea salt

6 TB of organic coconut oil or Spectrum organic palm oil shortening

Mix all of the crust ingredients in a mixing bowl and then roll into a ball. Place between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out so that you have about a 9-10 inch circle. Un-peel the parchment paper back and press the crust into a standard glass pie baking pan and then press into the sides. Design a crust edge and poke a fork into the bottom and sides for the crust to bake and breath comfortably. Bake for about 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven. Or until your crust is golden brown. Pull from the oven and let completely cool before adding the pumpkin mixture.

Pumpkin Mixture:

2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree

1 1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage or hemp milk

1 ts. of pure vanilla (or add 12 drops of Nu Naturals pure vanilla stevia liquid)

1/3 cup of fresh buckwheat flour

3 TB of pure maple syrup

2 TB of baking oil (light olive oil or coconut oil)

1/2 cup of sucanat (unrefined sugar cane juice)

2 TB of tapioca flour

2 ts. of baking powder

1 farm fresh egg or water-flax mixture (optional, because it can be cooked without an egg if you desire)

1 TB of pumpkin pie spice (or 1 ts. of each: ground ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg)

Mix all the above ingredients in a large mixing bowl until the mix is blended completely and lusciously smooth. Pour all of the mixture into the cooled pie crust and bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 hour. It will be baking above the crust in the oven and when you pull it form the oven. Wait about 10-15 minutes and the pie will settle and cool and shrink about 2-3 inches down. This photo below was taken right after it was pulled from the oven and as you can see it is a bit puffy still from being baked. Let pie cool and chill in the fridge to attain the desired pumpkin pie texture and taste.

This was the pie I served my gluten-free family and friends over Thanksgiving. It was enjoyed and devoured. I must say that I myself enjoy a piece for a leftover breakfast with a hot cup of tea. It is perfect. And totally ok if you are waking before the crack of dawn to reach all of the mall-sales. Why not? You are working over-time to keep up with all the holiday fun, so indulge for a moment and let yourself truly enjoy.

Much love and seasonal cheer to you today!

Sweet Potato Cornbread

It's time to enjoy some fresh bread! An exciting and fun idea to the gluten-free friend. We do not eat bread very often, and if we do it had been specially prepared and it is kinda a science experiment all by itself. This bread recipe is not difficult, and yes it is not a loaf of sandwich bread or anything like that, but it is a great "bread" to serve with any soup or salad if you craving something beyond the gluten-free cracker. This recipe I made to go with a nice pot of soup I had bubbling a few days ago, my fresh pumpkin soup. This bread paired perfectly with it, but really this bread is so yummy and moist you could pair it with almost any soup or salad meal. 

You can really sink you teeth into this one, it is moist, crumbly and kinda sweet really. Well, yes those sweet potatoes will sweeten almost anything up, not to mention warming your insides. One of my favorite foods this time of year. And a potato that has less the carbs and starchy content so I feel like I am eating more of my vegetables. Sweet potatoes come from the ground, beneath the dirt because they are a root. These kind of vegetables have a way of rooting our beings as well. They come from the ground and have a way of "grounding" us this time of year when we start to settle into the warm rooms of our home. It is symbolic to where our hearts are. We find ourselves not in the flighty fully fresh and green produce of summer, but in the warm, grounding and settling sweet potato of early winter. 

This is where I find my heart this time of year...

Sweet Potato Corn Bread:

1 cup of organic cornmeal

1 cup of organic corn flour

1/2 cup of sweet sorghum flour

1 ts. of aluminum free baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/3 cup of olive oil, or other baking oil

1/3 cup of fresh local honey

1 cup of cooked, smashed sweet potato

2 farm fresh eggs

1 cup of non-dairy milk (almond or coconut milk beverage is best)

***1 TB of apple cider vinegar, add this TB to a separate bowl with the milk above and let sit for 10 minutes to curdle***

1/2 ts. of paprika

1/2 ts. of ground cumin

1 ts of pumpkin pie spice ( or 1/2 cinnamon/nutmeg will work too)

1/2 ts of ground black pepper

1 ts of sea salt

Mix all of the dry ingredients separately in a bowl, and then separately mix the milk and apple cider vinegar together to let sit for 10 minutes to help curdle. Then mix the dry and the wet together, and add the eggs, oil and honey. Lastly add the mashed sweet potato and mix all together to get a smooth and thick consistency. 

Grease up a 9x13 pan with a little olive oil, and then pour the batter in and let sit just a second before placing in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Bake until it is browning on the tops and the center is cooked all the way through. Make sure not to over cook because it will be dry, but if you undercook too it will be too wet and start to ferment after baking. 30 minutes should be enough baking time, but in my oven I had to go a few minutes over that to just make sure it was completely done. 

Serve warm from the oven, or when it is completely cool. Enjoy with some fresh pasture organic butter, ghee, or even a nut butter.

To be honest, it is quite alright without even any butter or ghee. It is so moist, and yummy you will want to lick your plate. It is a bit crumbly, if you want to try an avoid that more for some reason you could add a dash or so of some xanthan gum to bind it just bit. I actually like it just a bit crumbly so I can eat all the pieces...

Maybe this is a way to use up some leftover baked sweet potatoes if you have those around from the holiday. I love sweet potatoes and could eat them at every meal. Yes, I am serious. They are so filling and warming. What a great foods from the earth this time of year!

Have a great weekend and enjoy some good company with some good food.

Much love to you all!

Fresh Pumpkin Soup

It's Thanksgiving Day, and the smells coming from the kitchen start before the sun rises. Yesterday was full of prep for the pies, the corn bread stuffing, sauces, and appetizers. I am not in charge of the turkey this year at all, so I just have to worry about some of the fixin's. To be honest, the bird kind of intimidates me a bit, so to not have a "shot" at it this year is ok with me. Maybe next year is what I am thinking... or maybe even later this winter...

One of my favorite dishes for Thanksgiving, is actually a soup. Pumpkin soup so it is completely festive and flavorful. This soup is pre-dinner, and pre-dessert, but really I would be satisfied with just a big bowl of this delectable soup and call it good. It is perfectly pumpkin. Perfectly sweet and savory in it's own perfect way. This is the perfect holiday to serve such a perfect soup. 

I made a huge pot of it to share with the family meal and it was simple to make ahead and have simmering in the crock pot to have with appetizers and even with dinner. The hardest part to the soup is really just the prep time and blending on the fresh pumpkin. I baked 2 large pumpkins yesterday, and it made about 8 cups of pumpkin puree. Other than that step, this soup is a piece of cake, or maybe pie in this case.

To roast or bake a pumpkin, you have to cut it open, de-seed it, rinse, then put in the oven on 450 degrees for about 1 hour or until soft enough to slice through with a butter knife. I pull it out of the oven, and then it cool almost completely and then peal the skin off, and put all the soft pieces in the blender or food processor so that that you can puree it. Sometimes you need a few splashes of water to get it moving, but then after a while you will have about 4 cups of fresh pureed pumpkin per baked medium pumpkin. You don't even have to bake the "pie" pumpkin if you do not want to. All pumpkins can be roasted, the pie pumpkins have a little more flavor and thickness to them so that is why they are specifically used to pumpkin pies. 

Fresh Pumpkin Soup Recipe:

1 cup of diced yellow onion

4 minced garlic cloves

2 TB of olive oil

4 cups of vegetable broth

2 cups of pure water

4 cups of fresh pumpkin puree

1 ts of pumpkin pie spice (or cinnamon)

1/2 ts. of paprika

1/2 ts. of ground cumin

1 ts. of ground black pepper, or more to taste

1 ts. of sea salt

handful of mixed fresh herbs finely chopped (parsley, sage, thyme)

1 can of whole-fat coconut milk

In a large pot, saute the onion and garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes until soft. Then add the water, broth, pumpkin, and spices. Let that start to cook and boil, then turn the heat down just a bit and add the fresh herbs and coconut milk. Continuing stirring and watch it start to bubble and foam. Turn down the heat and let it stay warm to serve, or this is when you can transfer to the crock pot to stay warm for hours to serve before or with dinner. 

Then, the most important part is to serve with love. Also, I like to make a corn bread to go with this soup. Yesterday I made some sweet potato cornbread....recipe coming soon. Really though, this soup is so thick and full of flavor you will not feel like you are missing any nutrients or sides. Just enjoy!

This is one of the dishes I will be sharing with family this Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorites, so even if everyone is more concerned with all the other side dishes or whether or not the turkey is done... I don't really care because this soup is comfort and warmth in a bowl.

I hope you enjoy and have a blessed holiday with family and friends.  There is always so much to be thankful for, and to have a day to set aside and share love and gratefulness is such a blessed tradition. Enjoy!

Much love to you friends!

Cranberry-Apple Sauce (refined sugar-free)

Can you believe it is Thanksgiving week already? Seems impossible, but it is true. This time of year can be one of the most wonderful times of the year for delicious and nutritious food. With so many plentiful fall veggies, mixing that with the savory flavors of thanksgiving it is just a wonderful time to indulge in good homemade creations.

I just recently found out that we can buy local cranberries in Michigan. There is a farm just south of Grand Rapids in Holland, Michigan area. They are a blueberry and other fruit farm, and they have just recently decided to try out producing cranberries. This is quite exciting! Here is a local newspaper article about the farm they come from. Most cranberries are produced on the east coast of the US, or in Wisconsin or Washington State, so to have some of our very own Michigan cranberries is a treat. They are not super expensive either, just about 2 dollars for 12 ounces. So, really, if you want to try and make your own refined sugar- free cranberry sauce and you hate it, it was only 2 dollars wasted :) Ok, but I know you will love it. It is a fun little experiment and the colors and smells are delicious.

Cranberry Sauce:4 cups of fresh, cleaned cranberries
2 cups of pure water
juice of one lemon or organic orange
1/2 cup of raw honey
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

4 pealed and diced apples
2 ts. of ground cinnamon

*** You could easily half this recipe in half if you want to make less***

***You could substitute the lemon juice for either apple cider or orange juice***

***If you need to add more syrup/honey to sweeten more, do so for your own taste***

First of all, you will want to wash and pour the washed, whole cranberries into a large pot. Then pour in the water, syrup, honey, lemon juice and cinnamon. Let this start getting warm, which will produce a popping noise... almost like popcorn, except it's a louder pop. They will cook for about 10 minutes and you will start to produce some red cranberry juices and foam.

Keep stirring and allowing the juices and berries to mix and start to mush together. This is when you add in the diced and pealed apple pieces. Continue to cook for about 5-10 more minutes on a lower heat, just until the apples are soft enough to eat. The cranberries and apples will gel together without the use of gelatin and the sweet and tart flavor will be just perfect.

There is nothing real special about this recipe except that it shows you that you can make something like cranberry sauce on your own, and that you do not have to use table sugar or refined sweeteners. It can be done without adding anything unhealthy and it is just as yummy.

Cranberries are very healthy for you. Especially in the fall, they help cleanse your blood and make your kidneys and bladder stronger for the winter months of less fresh foods and vitamin D. They are full of antioxidants that can help build your immune system to stay well and strong.

Cranberry sauce could be a great side to your Thanksgiving dinner, or topped on top of some baked salmon, chicken, or turkey. Or, you could add it to the top of a piece of some pumpkin cheesecake, or to the tops of some pumpkin pancakes. Really you can get pretty creative with this sauce. It's a nice thing to have around this time of year.

I hope you find rest and joy this week, and are able to truly find thankfulness for life and all of it's gifts!

Much love to you!

Gingered Carrot Soup

This is a soothing soup recipe with a serving of healing ginger and creamy carrot broth. It is perfect to use up some of those lingering fall carrots, and I also love the color and scents of this yummy soup. It is a bright orange and full of soothing ginger aroma. There is something about truly enjoying the bowl of soup before you, not only are swallowing those soothing spoonfuls but you are able to breath in the healing aroma.

The carrots I am using up today were the small, beautiful, unique carrots that I bought from a local farm this past fall. They had little nubs, weird shapes and growing hairs coming off of them, and they needed to be pealed and cleaned up to be eaten. Which is usually a good indication that it is time. :)

If you want to pair this soup with a hearty gluten-free bread or cracker, or with a side salad you will have a very filling meal on it's own. I love having vegetables as my main dish. Just makes sense to eat the beautiful colors as the main attraction. That is what makes you beautiful, all those beautiful foods making their way through your being to produce health and beauty through and through. I love the idea that the food you eat is what builds your body. If you are eating packaged, chemical-filled and processed foods your body will be building your body with those ingredients. The more we can give our beings true foods the more we will start to feel strong and healthy in ever part of our bodies. We are whole beings, you can't expect to strive to be a healthy person without thinking more holistically. Every thing is connected. It's true.

Carrot Ginger Soup:

2 lbs of carrots (6 cups or so of chopped carrots)

2 small pealed and chopped apples

8 cups or so of boiling water

1 cup of non-dairy milk (either almond or coconut)

1 medium onion diced

1 TB of olive oil

1 celery stalk diced

1 chopped garlic clove minced

1/8 cup of shredded fresh ginger

4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth

1 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. or so of ground black pepper

1 TB of agave nectar

handful of fresh sage diced into tiny pieces

dash of cinnamon

dash of nutmeg

coconut cream for topping if you desire

First, boil a large pot of water and toss in the chopped carrot and pealed apple pieces (do not need to be small because you are going to blend when soft). Boil until soft and then transfer from the pot into a strainer. Pour the cooked carrots into a blender or food processor and blend with 1 cup of non-dairy milk, either almond or coconut. When smooth, wait to pour into pot with sauteing onions and celery.

Then, saute the onions, celery, and garlic in olive oil in the same pot after dumping the water with the carrots. Saute until soft. Pour in the blended carrots and add the rest of the ingredients. Cook until boiling and let the flavors simmer for 10 minutes or so.

When ready to serve top with a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg and a dollop or coconut cream or even plain goat yogurt or greek yogurt.

I just love a hot bowl of soup on a cold fall day. Comfort and love in every spoonful!

Enjoy, and stay warm friends!

Raw Breakfast Muesli

This is a simple but nutritious breakfast that I have been enjoying as of late. Yes, it seems to be hot cereal season, but this can be warmed up in the morning if you so desire. It's one of those dump and leave recipes that is a healthy way to start the day. So, let me just help you embark on this great idea of making muesli in your own kitchen with a few yummy, simple ingredients.

Step #1, get out a medium glass bowl (preferable with a lid).

Step #2, measure out 1 cup of gluten-free rolled oats, pour in bowl.

Step #3, add 5-6 chopped dates, 1/2 of sliced or whole raw almonds (or 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, or another raw nut of choice or what is available).

Step#4, add 2 cups of a non-dairy beverage. I used coconut milk beverage, but almond milk will work too.

Step #5, stir, and keep on cold shelf on the counter or in the fridge for overnight (or at least 6 hours).

Step #6, find it in the morning with most all the milk soaked up and a creamy ready to eat bowl of cereal. Or, if you are looking for a warm meal, toss all of the ingredients in a saucepan and warm up for a few minutes, or put in a microwave and heat for 2 minutes. Ready.

That's it. It's easy and delicious. Also, you can do this with other pre-cooked gluten-free grains/seeds, like millet, buckwheat, kasha, or quinoa. It has 4 simple ingredients that you could add more if you wanted to, but is good just that simply too. It is soaked so it is much easier to digest, and it is a great way to eat a healthy breakfast without a lot of pain or prep. It is a great recipe for those just embarking on what a gluten and dairy free diet looks like. You can eat this for breakfast and it will keep you going all morning. Also, because the natural date sweetness soaks into the mixture you do not need to add any sweeteners (beside the dates) whatsoever. So, what more could a healthy breakfast ask for?!

Some other ingredients to add at serving time if you want to boost it up just a bit:

- a scoop of ground flaxseed

- some cinnamon or nutmeg

- a scoop of rice bran

- a scoop of rice protein

- a scoop of maca root powder

- fresh/or baked apple

- fresh blueberries or other berry

- a dollup of goat yogurt

- a spoonful of shredded coconut

- and the list could go on and on...

Hope you try this out and enjoy! Don't forget that living a whole and healthy life doesn't have to be rocket science, just a lot of love and dedication.

Much love to you!

P.s. Dates are really yummy in this recipe, so don't even try and substitute those...:)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

It's almost the holiday season. Time to re-think how to make the holiday favorites the healthier way. This year I wanted to try something a little bit more rich in the gluten-free and dairy-free person's eyes (and stomach). And...my husband has been asking me to come up with a healthier cheese cake recipe for months, and well, pumpkin makes it possible. So, this recipe does have dairy in it, but they kind of dairy that is used can be released of the lactose content. There is strained yogurt, so that is becomes kinda like a yogurt cheese. When it is strained it drains the main lactose parts, and the yogurt contains many probiotics to help with digesting. So, if you are a regular reader you know that I don't usually use dairy in  my recipes, and this one is an exception. :) Just because. It's a treat. I had no problems with the after affects of eating it, and I thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

Sometimes you just have to :)

So, here we go. Mix the following ingredients together in a bowl with a fork and then flatten out in a 9x13 Pyrex baking sheet, or a 9x9  spring form pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Until it is golden brown. Pull out of the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes.

Almond Crust:

1 cup of ground almonds (or you can use 1 cup of GF oat flour here to be nut-free)

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1/3 cup of palm oil shortening

2 TB of coconut palm sugar

1 TB of water

1/2 ts of sea salt

As the crust is cooling you can mix up the inside pumpkin cheesecake...

Pumpkin Insides:

3 cups of pureed fresh pumpkin (or canned will work too)

2 cups of strained yogurt (I used Greek Yogurt, or you could strain 4 cups of regular organic yogurt over night to strain out the liquid and come up with yogurt cheese)

3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar

1/3 cup of maple syrup

lemon juice from 1/2 of lemon

2 ts. of ground ginger

2 ts. of ground nutmeg

1 TB of ground cinnamon

2 farm fresh eggs

1 TB of vanilla

Whip up all the ingredients and pour into the pan with the crust. Smooth over and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes to an hour, depending on your oven. Pull from the oven and the tops should be a golden orange and it will not be wiggley in the middle. If you want to check with a toothpick to see if it is not gooey in the middle to know if it is cooked all the way through.

Let cool on the stove and then cover and let chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. It gets better the colder it is. Served chilled and with a warm cup of tea or favorite desert beverage. 

I needed to try this slice out before I served it... yep it is divine. And it is made with all healthy and whole ingredients! It is a simple way to enjoy something special these holidays without feeling like you are missing anything or indulging in something you will regret later.

Enjoy friends!

Kale Carrot Quinoa Pilaf

It's time for dinner and you are scrambling for a healthy side to use some vegetables and a healthy grain...time to make it simple and fresh. This recipe is not rocket science, but it is a beautiful addition to almost any meal that included a side of meat and another veggie. It is filling and nutritious with a healthy dose of the complete protein found in quinoa, and extra benefits from the kale and carrots. I love colorful food, and this dish is simple but definitely not boring!

The cooking time to make this is only about 20 minutes too, so it does not need to have a lot of time or thought put into it. That is my kind of healthy dish! So, get out your quinoa and start chopping up those carrots, because you will be almost done cooking this before you are done reading this post ;)

Kale and Carrot Quinoa Pilaf Recipe:

1 TB of olive oil

1 small yellow onion

1 cup of dried quinoa

1 cup of water

1 1/2 cup of vegetable broth

1 cup of chopped carrots

2/3 cup of finely chopped kale

1 TB of wheat-free tamari sauce

1 ts. of ground ginger

1 ts. of dried or fresh oregano

sea salt to taste

cracked pepper to taste

2/3 cup of crushed walnut or almond pieces

added freshly chopped parsley to top or to mix in last

Start with sauteing the diced onion in the olive oil in a medium saucepan. After 5 minutes and your onions are translucent, add in the dried quinoa, broth, and water. Stir it all together and let cook for a minute. Then add in the chopped carrots and kale. Cook at a medium heat for 15 more minutes until the water is all cooked up and the quinoa is cooked through. Add in the spices and the crushed nuts in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Continually stir to keep from burning and then serve with the fresh parsley on top if you so desire. 

No too hard, and using simple ingredients to make a filling and nutritious side. Quinoa is a complete protein and it is a great vegan and vegetarian protein.  Hope you try it out, and be creative with whatever veggies you have laying around. Don't feel like you have to go for a special ingredient for this one, just use what you have and indulge in the simplicity. 

Much love to you!

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (vegan)

Muffins. How simply wonderful. A little goodness in a cup. You don't have to slice anything or clean anything, just eat and lick the crumbs from each bite. It's going to be a busy week...so why not make a quick batch of muffins with some everyday pantry ingredients and some leftover fresh applesauce to spice it up. This recipe was inspired only by the jars and jars of applesauce that I have laying around my kitchen. So why wouldn't I be dreaming of a hearty applesauce muffin for breakfast?

These delicious muffins are a great treat for a breakfast on the go. They are filled with fiber, protein and they are vegan! If you are looking for an egg-free recipe that still will be moist and chewy, then you need to try this one out. I have enjoyed them for the last few days, and now I will share...

Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins Recipe:

2 cups of homemade applesauce (or an unsweetened store bought variety will do)

1 cup of finely ground almonds (in a coffee grinder or food processor)

3/4 cup of sweet sorghum flour

1 cup of gluten-free oat flour (gluten-free oats ground in a coffee grinder or food processor)

1 cup of gluten-free oats

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1/2 cup of agave, or 1/4 cup agave and 1/2 cup of unrefined sugar cane (sucanat)

1/4 cup of light olive oil or walnut oil

1/4 cup of coconut oil or palm oil shortening not melted

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 ts of baking powder

1 ts of baking soda

1 ts of ground cinnamon

1 ts. of ground nutmeg

1 ts of ground ginger

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, then add in the applesauce and the rest of the wet ingredients. et the batter sit for a few minutes to let the oats soak up some of the moisture from the applesauce. Mix well together and pour into muffin cups about 3/4 full. Bake for about 18-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Make sure to check if the middle of the muffins are cooked with a toothpick and then let cool for about 10 minutes before you try and eat. They are great muffins to sit on the shelf or you can preserve them in the fridge for the rest of the week. This recipe makes about 18 muffins.

Be well this week. Enjoy friends.

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes (gluten-free, dairy-free)

I have been a busy lady lately. I am in the process of moving right now, so packing boxes and organizing are taking up most of my spare minutes.

Until today.

I am determined to enjoy some homemade pumpkin pancakes, grain free. Why grain free? Well, I have been doing some experimenting on how maybe more people that are trying to rid themselves of yeast, fungus and mold in their body would really benefit from a grain free diet. Maybe not forever, but for a time to cleanse the body. This immediately makes me turn to almond and coconut for baking. How could we live without those staples, I really don't know. So, this recipe was developed with a saturday mindset, and yet it is not lacking nutrients or flavor. I will probably adjust this recipe depending on how many people I would make it for, but for now this is what I came up with...

Pumpkin Spice Pancakes Recipe:

1 cup of pureed pumpkin, or can pumpkin would do as well.

1 cup of ground up almonds or almond meal (in a food processor or coffee grinder)

1/2 cup of millet flour

3/4 cup of tapioca flour

1 TB of baking powder

1/2 ts. of sea salt

4 TB of unrefined sugar cane (sucant) or agave nectar works too

1 TB of vanilla

2 TB of oil, either walnut or light olive oil

2 large farm fresh eggs

2 TB of pumpkin pie spice blend, or...

1 ts of each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves and then 1 TB of cinnamon

1/2 cup of non-dairy milk ( I used coconut milk beverage)

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl and make sure the texture is thick and "creamy" and you start to see some bubbles popping up from the baking powder.

Ladle spoonfuls of the batter into a large frying pan that is coated with some walnut or olive oil. This recipe will make about 8 large pancakes, or 12 small one. Make sure when you drop the batter in the frying pan to spread out just a bit with your ladle or spoon to make sure it thins out just a bit.

Cook for a few minutes on each side. Make sure there is now raw batter pouring out from the middle or sides, and the viola it is done. Eat hot from the pan, with a drizzle of pure maple syrup, or if you are avoid sugar or yeast forming foods, stick with a drizzle of agave nectar or some fresh homemade applesauce to top.

I am enjoying mine with a cup of tea and the morning news. Hope you have a good weekend and find time to rest.