Homemade Dairy-Free Hot Cocoa Dry Mix

There's something about drinking something steaming hot on a cold winter day. It's sustenance. Snow and hot cocoa go hand in hand, and since today marks the first day of snow for this coming winter....yes, it is ONLY November 11th. We are going to have many many more days of cold and snow ahead of us before next spring. And that is why this cocoa dry mix is a fabulous addition to your pantry. Mix up a big batch and have it there ready to drink when you need some encouragement or have a moment of creativity or quiet "you" time.

Or perhaps you will want to share some of this great mix and bottle it up in some pint jars with a cutsie note and some peppermint candies and viola, you have a super cute and special homemade christmas gift for friends, teachers and grannies.

I made this mix from 3 main simple ingredients. The main difference than any other homemade mix is that I used rice milk powder. Like milk powder, but from rice milk and of course dairy-free. I was impressed with its taste and texture. Super fine and silky. So a perfect addition to a hot cocoa mix.

I bought this rice milk powder from Vitacost, but I bet you can find some at a local health store if you are desperate to search for it and buy it right away.

FYI: Now is the time to stock up on healthy holiday baking alternatives from Vitacost. Order today to guarantee you get it here before the holidays and to get the best sale and supply. I buy my coconut palm sugar, coconut oil, and some favorite GF flours. I bet you could find anything you usually bake with around the holidays...except cheaper than the "health" grocery store and maybe you'll even find a healthier alternative too!

Right now a great sale you can buy Wholesome Sweeteners Coconut Palm Sugar, 1 and the other 50% off. Vitacost brand is also offering their organic coconut oil for $16.99 right now which is a great price (5 dollars less than the usual price). There is also Enjoy Life chocolate chips that I love to use because they are allergy-friendly and good.

Also, if you are a first time buyer, you can get a $10 dollar coupon from me for your first order HERE. Super awesome to have a free $10 towards your grocery order, so take advantage and then spread the savings yourself!

Homemade Dairy-Free (vegan) Hot Cocoa Dry Mix Recipe
2 cups of rice milk powder
1 cups of dutch processed dark cocoa
3 cups of powdered coconut palm sugar
  (blend the 2 1/2 cups of sugar with 3 TB of arrowroot powder in high powered blender)
1 ts. of sea salt
1/2 - 1ts. of ground cinnamon
optional additions:
 1 ts. vanilla powder
 1 ts. of pumpkin pie spice
 1 ts. of ground ginger or cardamon

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl with a whisk. Then use a funnel to scoop the mix into a canning jar to keep in the pantry or to share as a gift. The mix makes about 3 pint jars full and can easily be doubled or tripled to make enough if you use for gifts. 

To make the hot cocoa, put 2TB of the mix into a 8 ounce mug and pour boiling water or non-dairy milk into the  mix and stir quickly to have it dissolve.  Add some cold non-dairy milk to cool it down and cream it up.

Stay warm and enjoy!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

So for those of you that have noticed....it's been awhile since a recipe. Six months to be exact. And because of lots of friendly nudging and bugging I decided it was about time to get back into posting recipes. A lot has happened sine I last posted. Let's see...I missed the whole summer on the blog. I passed 1,000 likes on my Hope for Healing Facebook Page. (That's just crazy to me!!!) Then, oh yeah, I had a beautiful baby girl and she is just gorgeous and perfect in every way. An angel baby. Yes, a miracle in more ways than one, and has left me enjoying every second of her new born world. I had bit of a traumatic birth and have needed the time to recover and spend no time thinking about recipes and blogging and only about healing and figuring out life as a new mommy again. I won't get into details about my birth story, but I am grateful to be alive. And I'm not being dramatic. 

And I am reminded of the birth of this blog as well...trying to spread a little more HOPE for the HEALING journey towards health and life after going gluten-free (or whatever health and healing journey you are on!) So I decided to pick up my pen and apron again... I may a bit slower to post with two little ones, and there may be less small talk and just recipes, but I'm pretty sure that's what keeps you coming back for more anyways ;)

We have been eating lots of simple meals and old favorites of late. Lots of my go-to meals and trying to get my 3 year old to eat anything fresh. We have been eating lots of fresh foods from our backyard and local farmer's market. There is no food better than the one's from your backyard. Fresh, ripe and perfectly delicious. And now here we are fully into the fall season with gorgeous squash and pumpkin to add to everything. Including a vegan mac and cheese to make it fall-licious!

Here is a simple fall favorite that I have been making at my house for a while now, but haven't posted for some weird reason. And as we have had it a few times already this fall, I thought it would be a good easy recipe to post after such a long leave of absence. And, my favorite comfort food for sure would be mac and cheese. No questions asked. It was my favorite food as a child. My quick answer to the 'favorite food' question and now as an adult it has only morphed into something creamier, more nutritious and with no actual cheese!

Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese Recipe

(gluten, dairy and nut-free)

1 medium yellow sweet onion

3 finely minced cloves of garlic

2-3 TB of olive oil, ghee, or even leftover bacon grease to add extra flavor

2 TB of white rice flour (or tapioca or arrowroot flour work just as well)

2 cups of non-dairy milk (I like to use So Delicious coconut milk beverage here)

1 ts. of sea salt

1/2 ts. of fresh ground black pepper

1 ts. of ground paprika

1/2 ts. of ground tumeric

1 ts. of Italian seasoning blend or just ad a dash of dried rosemary, oregano and basil

1/3 cup of nutritional yeast

optional: 1- 1 1/2 cups of Daiya shreds 'cheddar flavor' cheese

2 cups of butternut squash puree 

(make ahead of time by blending a medium baked butternut squash with a splash of water)

2-3 cups of fresh pure water

1 16 ounce package of elbow rice noodles. I only use Tinkyada brown rice elbow noodles here. 

Fresh chopped parsley to serve.

In a large pot or dutch oven (10-12 quart), saute the chopped onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Then sprinkle in the flour and make a little bit of a rue substance, then add the milk and wisk fast to blend in the flour and milk with the onions and garlic. You should get a thickened cream-looking sauce. Then add the seasonings, nutritional yeast and dairy-free cheese. Let the sauce come to a boil and then  add in the creamy butternut squash puree, water and dry pasta noodles. You are going to cook the noodles in the sauce. To do this, you need to turn the heat to medium and stir CONSTANTLY to make sure the noodles don't stick and to ensure a creamy mac and cheese. It should take 12-15 minutes until the noodles are cooked and you will notice they start to plump and add thickness to the sauce. It's a marriage of dry and wet and ends in a creamy goodness. I said to add 2-3 cups of water because depending on how thick your butternut squash puree is you may need a little more water or "wet" to get the noodles to soften properly. When the noodles have taken over the sauce. It is finished. Take off the heat completely and let sit for 10-15 minutes to soak together and cool off. Then ready to serve! Serve with a big sprinkle of fresh parsley or other favorite fresh herb blend. 

You can also pour into a 9x13 pan, top with your favorite GF bread crumbs and olive oil, and then save or freeze to bake in the oven for a later date. Serve big boy slices after warmed in the oven for 30 minutes with a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

Happy Fall and Enjoy!

Maple-Date-Banana Oatmeal Cookies

These cookies are a great treat, snack, and could even serve as a breakfast bar on the go. I have been trying to sub dates and iron rich foods into my diet as much as possible to get ready for labor and baby coming. Eating whole grains especially wheat germ is a great way to get in iron and also assimilate iron into your system, but yes, because of being gluten-free, wheat germ is not an option for me. So certified gluten-free oats have been an option, along with common other veggies and seeds that contain vitamins and iron that promote better hemoglobin levels in the body.

Some other foods to consider for iron intake are lots of fresh and steamed greens, pumpkin seeds and nuts, and dried apricots and dates also have a nice amount as well. Then there are the usual suspects of iron-rich foods like red meat, legumes and spinach, so those have been a more common staple for me as well. Oh, and did I mention raw cocoa also has a nice amount of iron to offer the body (no problem consuming more of that, thank you!) Whether you are pregnant or want to be pregnant, the truth is that people who have food sensitivities often have a hard time  assimilating nutrients in their small intestines, so those may be found to be anemic or even "malnourished" for a long time even after going gluten-free. So it is even more important to sensitive people to try and eat a nutrient dense diet as much as you can. Whole foods, no chemicals or additives, and as much plants as possible. Gaining as much nutrients from your real food over popping over the counter vitamins is a better way for the body to gain the benefit of nourishment as well.

Interesting enough, I found out that pure maple syrup actually has a nice amount of natural occurring iron as well. Which is an added bonus since I just bought a ton of local syrup to store for the year. Michigan maple syrup is the best! I'm sure other people may think their local syrup is better, so I won't argue my point, but I am pretty proud to live in a place that produces such sweet gold this time of year.

So these cookies are sweetened with my 3 favorite sugar subs of maple syrup, dates and banana. They are not too complicated and turned out fabulous for storing, freezing or devouring of course. I plan to make a few more batches to freeze for after baby comes as well. I think these cookies would make a wonderful treat for new breast feeding moms.

Maple-Date-Banana Oatmeal Cookie Recipe 

{gluten, dairy, egg, nut and sugar-free}

3 cups of gluten-free rolled oats (I use Bob's Red Mill)

3/4 cup of sweet sorghum flour

3/4 cup of brown rice flour (can sub white rice flour here)

2 TB of ground flaxmeal (I used golden flax)

1 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1 ts. of sea salt

2 ts. of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup of light olive oil or grapeseed oil, or melted coconut oil works too
(oil can be omitted if you desire)

1/2 cup of dates (16 dates)

2 ripe bananas

1 cup of pure maple syrup

1 TB of lemon juice (1 small fresh lemon squeezed)

2 ts. of pure vanilla 

additions:

1/4 cup of raisins or currants

1/4 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips

or pick 1/2 cup of one or the other

other dried fruit or carob nibs could also sub just fine here as well

In a large mixing bowl, mix all of the dry ingredients together and leave the oil out and ready to dump in with the rest of the wet ingredients. Then in a large magic bullet blender or other high powered blender, blend the extra ripe bananas, dates and maple syrup along with the vanilla and lemon. Blend until smooth, or if you want a few date pieces you can blend until mostly smooth. Then pour in the blender mix with the dry mix, add the oil and mix well together. You may want to mix well and then leave the batter to soak up the moisture for a few minutes and it will become a sticky cookie batter then. Lastly add the extra fillings you desire. 1/2 of fillings should be about enough. 1/2 of raisins, or chocolate chips, or a mix of both. 

Roll out Tablespoon-sized balls and then press them down on a baking cookie sheet. Then bake in a 375 degree oven for 12-14 minutes. This recipe makes about 3 dozen cookies.

We ate about half of these and then stuck half in the freezer. I am going to make another batch or two to put in the freezer because they freeze so well. Which will come in handy in a few weeks when we are looking for a quick snack or treat.

I hope you enjoy and find that gluten-free baking can be fun and nutritious too!

Much love as always!

Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Honey Frosting and Fresh Raspberries

Over the last few years, on my birthday, I've had fun making a cake that I've been dreaming about in my head for a while. And this cake is not much different from any of my dreamed-up creations. I realized that I really wanted to come up with a personal chocolate cake recipe that I loved, wasn't full of sugar, dairy or other additives and perhaps out of pride, didn't want it to come from a mix. This cake is just that. I have been experimenting lately and then made this wondrous creation for my birthday this week. I was very pleased with it's moist texture, ability to hold up, and the taste was... a deep, rich and romantical chocolate. Delish!

You could call it a Devil's Food Cake or just a plain chocolate cake recipe. It has all the basics to a great chocolate cake, lots of rich velvety chocolate and it won't leave you wishing for more flavor or have you missing the good ol' gluten days.

I was able to make this cake without refined sugars, dairy, nuts and of course gluten, but I have not found a way to make it without eggs without giving up some moisture and texture. You of course could sub the eggs for a chia/flax egg or even an egg replacement mix, but you loose the fluffiness quite a bit. Still, a very nice cake, and totally worth making it you are a strong vegan. I'm not completely against eating fresh farm eggs, and will have them here and there, so this cake was totally worth the upgrade to me to add them in.

I have also experimented with a yellow cake mix, or a "yogurt" cake, or "sour cream" layer cake. I hope to share this version of a cake soon as well. I was debating between what cake to make for my actual birthday and in the end decided to go with the rich deep chocolate because when I have this baby in a few weeks I may be giving up chocolate for a few months to help with the nursing babe and transitioning. So bring on the chocolate baby. I'm going to get my fill this birthday and hope it might induce some labor pains? I dunno about that, but it sure did hit the spot and make my birthday special.

Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Fresh Raspberries Recipe
{gluten, dairy, nut, and refined sugar free}

1 cup of millet flour
1 cup of white rice flour
1 cup of finely ground coconut palm sugar (I grind 1 cup in a magic bullet to make it very fine)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1 ts. of xanthan gum


1 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips
1/2 heaping cup of dates
1 cup of boiling water

1 TB of pure vanilla
2 whisked farm fresh eggs + 2 egg yokes
1/2 cup of melted liquid coconut oil
3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I use So Delicious coconut milk)
1 TB or juice from 1 fresh lemon mixed with milk

Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then in a glass blender or high powered blender add the chocolate chips, dates and boiling water and let sit for 15-20 minutes. Then blend the mixture and make a pudding like substance, add that to the dry mix along with the rest of the wet ingredients. Mix well together and make sure there are no clumps. Bubbles are ok though... and then split the batter and pour it into two 9 inch cake tins (I oil my pans with coconut oil to make sure the cake is free from sticking).

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. Use a toothpick to check to make sure the middle of the cakes are baked and there is no gooey bater coming up. Let cool for at least 1 hour before moving and trying to layer on your cake plate or stand.

When I layer a cake, I put the top of the cake on the bottom of the cake plate. Then put a later of frosting, and then flip the next cake on it's top so that the bottom of the cake is actually on top to add a flat top to the cake. You can do this however you most feel comfortable.  I layer the cake with frosting in the middle, add fresh raspberries to the middle of the cake and the top however you want to decorate or arrange. I like using fresh berries, but you could also just add some berry preserves the the middle of the cake as well. Whatever sounds delicious to you and yours. 

Here is my very simple Chocolate Honey Frosting Recipe

1 cup of room temperature vegan butter (I use Earth Balance Soy-Free) Or you can use half vegan butter and half coconut butter or oil if you prefer the taste. You can also use real grass-fed butter if you prefer as well

1/3-1/2 cup of local raw honey

1/3-1/2 cup of raw cocoa powder

sprinkle of pure vanilla (optional)

dash of sea salt (optional)

Whisk all of the above ingredients in a small bowl and then spread over the cake, or add to a Wilton frosting pipping bag with added decorating tip of you prefer to get fancy with the frosting. I used the closed star tip with the frosting of this cake. 

You can double or half this frosting pretty easily. In fact I usually eye-ball the measurements and whisk it up, try it and then decided if I want to add more of anything...

So here's to another year of life....cheers to life, love and being so blessed as I am with an amazing and loving family, friends and so many loved ones and gifts. I thank God for another year of adventure and new experiences, and look forward to what the next few weeks and months will bring!

Thanks for sharing in my birthday treat! 

I hope you try it out for a treat, special occasion or a birthday soon!

Much love as always!