Banana Bread Tea Cake

When it's February in Michigan, the snow isn't as magical as it once was. It tends to feel very cold and possibly an inconvenience with the unending shovelling and driving slow and careful. And, you start to hear more and more complaining ;) and more and more cases of seasonal sadness taking over lives, begging for sunshine and warm to come just a bit early this year. I think maybe our dreams were dashed when that silly groundhog saw his shadow... I guess saying we have 6 more weeks of winter??  I could have told you that ;) Or at least here in Michigan we have [at least] another 6-10 weeks of winter conditions!

Or is it because we are trying to rush through to the next thing...ALWAYS! It is hard to sit and be in the place where you are. Just being means you have to slow down and pay attention. Being. Mindful. Take it all in. The smells, tastes, feelings, and sounds... And it doesn't hurt to have a few winter activities to find cozy comfort and stay grounded in the present.

Like, have you gone out on a winter hike? Yes you have to get bundled up, but I swear to you that it will change your whole heart when it comes to winter. It is quiet...sacred...simple.. and magical. It will remind you of the present beauty that is all around you and begging you to see and be.

Or the winter sunrises and sunsets. They are what get me up each day and keep me going. The pinks, reds and orangey-peach that fills the sky is breathtaking! Like witnessing a miracle each day!

Baking bread is another one of those activities that brings me warmth and joy in the winter months. I don't care as much about getting warm next to the oven in the summer months. In fact I would likely LOVE to not put the oven on and stay outside in the sun at the beach! But in the winter months you can truly enjoy and savor the space to enjoy baking. And that's why this bread came into creation. One of those days sitting and taking in all the winter-goodness and sacred space. If you are looking to bring a little more warmth and joy to your life these last few weeks [months!] of winter I suggest finding a few activities that bring you life, hope, joy and soaking in them. Happy baking, friends xoxo

 Banana Bread Tea Cake Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, seed, nut and refined-sugar-free}

3/4 cup of fresh ground buckwheat flour
3/4 cup of fresh ground GF oat flour
3/4 cup of rice flour
1/4 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
1/4 cup of coconut flour
2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt

1/2 cup of oil [avocado, light olive, or softened coconut]
3 mashed bananas [1 cup]
2/3 cup of coconut milk beverage or other plant-milk
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1/4 cup of applesauce
3/4 cup of date puree paste

In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together first. Then add in the wet and oil and mix together well.  Then oil a baking 9x13 pan or a cake pan or a bundt. Pour in the batter and bake in a 350 degree oven for 40-45 minutes for the bundt, or 30ish for the 9x13 sheet cake pan. Check with toothpick to see if middle is set and not gooey. Let cool and serve up with warm butter or jams of choice. 

I hope you find the sacred in the every day, everything is connected and spiritual and as it should be. Soak it in, enjoy it's season and the parts that are painful or challenging- hold onto them and move through them- they can be your teacher and make you who you need to be!

Sending much love and hope for you today, xoxo

Pumpkin Spice Scones

Pumpkin everything. Pumpkin all day. I told you the pumpkin shenanigans were about to unfold. When you got fresh pumpkin ready to use, it's hard to not want to put it in just about everything. Today it ended up in my baking. I was baking for a friend and remembered a pumpkin scone I used to make back in my good ol' bakery days. Now this one is ALOT more moist and so I beg to ask you to give it a taste. 

Covered in pumpkin pie spice and a crispy top and soft and moist middle. Much like a muffin top... it has all the best qualities of a muffin but then it is spread out to get more of the pieces you love most about a muffin anyways. I have to say this recipe is VERY similar to my Pumpkin Date Muffins I made last year around this time. And maybe you are just a muffin kind of gal... but if it's the tops you love- these might just be the recipe for you.

These little treats have you thinking you're eating a cookie? Or is it a muffin? A scone may be so confusing for us on the other side of the pond...BUT their biscuit quality and their ability to hold their own and be covered in jam, ghee, honey, or whatever you might cover your toast with is truly a feat of amazement. I must say- I'm not sure why I don't make these more often?!?

 Pumpkin Spice Muffin Top Scones Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, seeds, eggs, refined-sugar-free}

1/3 cup of coconut flour
1/3 cup of potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca flour
1/3 cup of rice flour
1 cup of gluten free oat flour (I grind my own out of GF rolled oats)
2 ts. of baking powder (Hain brand-corn free)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
2 ts. of pumpkin pie spice (or mix up cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves)
1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar

1/2 cup of date puree
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1/3 cup of coconut milk beverage with 1 TB apple cider vinegar
2/3 cup of pumpkin puree (fresh or canned)
1/2 cup of melted coconut oil
optional addition: 1 ts. of pure vanilla extract

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then add in the wet and whisk together well. Let the batter sit and stiffen up while the baking powder ignites. Then use a 1/3 cup greased with extra coconut oil and scoop out the batter onto a parchment papered 11x15 baking sheet. You should get 12 scones scoops on the baking sheet. Then use some melted coconut oil to brush over the tops before baking. Lastly sprinkle with a hearty pinch of pumpkin pie spice blend. Cover it as much or as little as you like. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes depending on your oven. Check the middles to make sure they are baked through and then let cool for 30-60 minutes before serving with a cup of tea. 

Tis' the season for pumpkin everything and I am fully enjoying it. I love eating with the seasons and when something is in season I over-do it so that when the season is over I'm ready to move on. And all that pumpkin and squash you can find at the farmer's market and roadside stands are just what our bodies need as we nestle into the fall and winter season. Full of carotenoids which give it that rich color of yellow and orange. Pumpkin is easy on the digestion and help aid in keeping you nourished by stabilizing blood sugar. Also many antioxidants to fight inflammation, vitamins to nourish the immune system, and the warming and rooting qualities to keep you grounded in the shifting season. Pumpkins truly are a gift to the fall. 

I hope you ENJOY and much love!

xoxo

Summer Peach Crisp

The key to this peach crisp is simplicity. But that's usually what I say when it comes to any fruit crisps. I love the flavor of the fruit to shine and the crispy bits to be a little like a cookie topping. And that's just how this one was... well is...? Well not anymore... I took a few pictures and by the end of the day it was gone ;) Yep, that's usually how these babies go...very quickly.

I picked up a bushel of these gorgeous gems last week from a local farmer. I go to him every year when it's peach season. These are Red Havens, one of my favs, because they are not horribly sweet and just the right texture and color for baked goodies and basically just to gawk at.

They kinda look like a gorgeous sunset this time of year, appropriate since we have been talking so much about the sun this month with the solar eclipse tomorrow and all the gorgeous August sunsets that I have witnessed this month. So much beauty and little reflections of summer.

The day I pick up a bushel is celebration crisp day! I also plan to try and make some peach butter and store some in a honey based syrup as well. We'll see how that goes :) But for now... let's make crisp and watch another fleeting summer sunset, shall we?!? 

Summer Peach Crisp Recipe
{gluten, dairy, nut, seed, soy, egg and refined-sugars-free}

6 cups of fresh pealed and sliced fresh and juicy peaches
1 lemon squeezed and zested
1 TB of sprinkled tapioca flour
3 TB of maple syrup (or a mix of honey)
pinch to 1 ts. of ground cinnamon
pinch to 1 ts. of ground nutmeg
pinch of cardamon
pinch of cloves

Put all of the above ingredients in a saucepan on medium heat and let the peach juices break down and the tapioca thicken the juice. Leave on medium to low heat for 7-10 minutes and then it is ready to pour into a 9x9 Pyrex pie pan or square dish.

In a small bowl mix together...

1/2 cup of quick cooking GF oats

1/2 cup of finely ground certified GF oat flour

1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar

2 TB of potato starch

2 TB of tapioca flour

pinch of sea salt

1/3 cup of Spectrum's palm oil shortening or extra virgin coconut oil 

drizzle of pure maple syrup

The above mixture will turn into a sticky cookie-like-batter and will be easy to sprinkle over the peaches. Then bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes until there is bubbling peach juices coming from the sides.  Pull from the oven and let cool for 20 minutes before serving up warm. Which is the best way to serve in my opinion. 

This is the kind of recipe that is completely inspired and made possible by gorgeous fresh peaches. SO if you have fresh peaches available to you-then this little summer delight is a MUST! It is fabulous with a dollop of your favorite vanilla ice cream or whipped topping. But is also just fabulous as is :)

Hope you are hanging on to the best of what's left of summer and enjoying your people, nature and some gorgrous delicious food! Much love and happy baking, friends! xoxo

Zucchini Brownie Bite Muffins

Every year when zucchini is fresh and coming up abundantly I seem to remember again how much I love chocolate and zucchini together. It always turns out so moist and rich and chewy and wonderful.  So today when I woke up early ready to bake up a treat for my kiddos and some friends- it was this combo on my mind (and stomach!)

These minis could be a dessert, a treat, a snack...OR...breakfast ;) I am calling these little babies Brownie Bite MUFFINS instead of CAKES because that is just what they are of course.  Topped with a little sprinkle of mini chocolate chips :) So call them what you will, I decided to call them muffins because they are hearty and wonderful and full of goodness. The chocolate is just the disguise...and it sure is a trickster to mask a vegetable-filled muffin.

Zucchini Brownie Bite Muffin Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, nut, seed, soy and refined-sugar-free}

1 1/3 cup of fresh ground certified GF oat flour
2/3 cup of white rice flour
1/4 cup of tapioca flour
1/2 cup of cocoa/cacao powder
2 ts. of baking powder (corn-free Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1/2 ts. of ground cinnamon
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar

2/3 cup of coconut milk beverage (or other plant milk)
1/3 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of maple syrup
2 TB of molasses
1/2 cup of date puree paste
optional addition: 1/2 cup of mashed cooked black beans
1/2 cup of soft melted coconut oil (or avocado oil)
1 1/2 cup of freshly shredded/grated zucchini

1 cup of mini-dairy-free chocolate chips (ENJOY LIFE brand)

In a large bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together first, then add in all the wet and whisk together well. I grate 1 large or 2 small zucchini right before I add it to the bowl so it is super fresh and if it is super wet you can squeeze out some of the excess water. I lastly fold in the chocolate chips and then even save a little sprinkle of chips to top the unbaked muffins for the added touch of chocolate goodness. I made these as mini muffins so the recipe made a ton...36 minis. But you can make about 18 large mufins too. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 22 minutes until stiff and baked all the way through for the mini muffins and you may need to bake closer to 30 minutes for the larger regular sized muffins. Pull from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before you eat just so to don't burn your taste buds. You're gunna want to keep those safe ;)

I hope you give these sweet treat snacks a try. A special treat this time of year with zucchini coming up in droves and you're struggling to come up with ways to use it all. Seriously friend- this is a muffin to make... so stop now and make these and your day will be complete. Share with friends and bring joy- you won't regret it.

Much love to you as always xoxo

Vanilla Bean Vegan Coconut Ice Cream

Summer brings about the love and craving for ice cream more than any other season. Not sure if it's just part of our American heritage or the fact something cold and creamy just tastes better while we sweat and soak in the summer sun. 

This recipe is basic. A classic. A plain-Jane-vanilla-bean ice cream kinda recipe. But maybe plain, simple, classic and basic is where it's at! This recipe also serves as a good base for almost any vegan ice cream and then when you want to take away the vanilla and add in more or differing flavors....you got it!  This one is my absolute favorite to top all the summer fruit crisps and crumbles. Or just keep it even easier and top (or mix-in) all the fresh berries you can get your fingers on. 

This handful of berries came from a friends backyard that backs up to a bike trail that has dozens of wild bushes of wild black raspberries growing. My daughter thought this find was the best thing ever- some how it brought out her own independent declaration of not needing me anymore for snacks :) I'm glad she loves to pick berries as much as I do. Hopefully you can hunt down some berry goodness this summer for yourself. For most of us GF or allergy people berries are a great treat just by themselves. Focus on the sweet treat and beautiful food you CAN have and forget about the sweet and sugary foods that hurt and harm you. This simple berry and coconut ice cream treat will have you forgetting any past desserts you can no longer enjoy. If you are looking to make some homemade vegan ice cream I'll share a few of my secrets below... 

Vanilla Bean Coconut Ice Cream Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, egg, nut, seed, and refined sugar-free, VEGAN}

2 cans of full fat coconut milk cream - should amount to 2 cups of cream
(scoop out the cream and save/discard the water in the can)
1 vanilla bean pod scraped
1/2 lemon/lime/orange/grapefruit squeezed (1-2 TB's of juice)
2-3 TB of pure maple syrup
hearty pinch of sea salt


optional: 1 TB of tapioca starch (this ingredient helps the ice cream to be so much easier to scoop from the freezer and even I think allows it to be creamier and melt just the right way instead of it being too hard or icy- you can omit it too, but from my experiments I like it better added!)


In a small saucepan, warm up the coconut cream with the rest of the ingredients. DO NOT warm too much to a boil. Just warm enough for the starch to thicken and turn off the heat and let it cool off. Then use an immersion or regular blender and blend the mixture to get a bit frothy and bubbly. Pour into a container and let full cool off in the fridge for 2 hours- overnight, or in the freezer for 30 minutes. 

Then if you have not invested in the Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker- then you might want to in time for this summer. I got this as a birthday gift last year and have enjoyed using it. The instructions before you make the ice cream is to deep freeze the mixture container. It must be super cold! Then once you do that you can hook up the container and follow the instructions- which for this ice cream includes just pouring in the mixture while it has already started spinning. This will take anywhere from 20-30 minutes to thicken up the ice cream. It is like soft serve and ready to top or eat, but if you want a more scoop-able ice cream then let the machine run for the allotted time and then pour into a container and put in the freezer and within 30 minutes it will be a perfect scoop!

Once you got your ice cream steps down- you will be willing to make this more often and enjoy it's creamy presence in your life. This recipe can be easily doubled and this recipe recipe makes about a pint of ice cream. This is a great 4th of July treat paired with fresh fruit, picked cherries or wild black raspberries...Did you notice the red white and blue happening here ;) haha!

I hope you give it a try and truly ENJOY it's wonderfulness :)
Much love as always xoxo

Lemon Berry Muffins

Tis' the season to start seeing new life pop up all around you. Right now, I am looking out my kitchen window at my budding trees, swaying daffodils, and my neon green grass after a night of thunderstorms and rain. The colors are so vibrant and new. This live backdrop gives me such a feeling of creativity as I step into my day, also wanting to get outside and soak up all the newness. My 3 year daughter even mentioned this morning while driving the pink 'leaves' on all the trees that she loved from the backseat. She was actually noticing all the flowering trees that line our streets this time of year. But I was excited that she was watching and wondering about so much beauty and newness all around her. It's hard to ignore - the earth is waking up all around us!

This time of year usually also gets me all excited about lighter and fresher flavors in my baked goods and kitchen. Ones of lemons and berries and less creamy thick spice filled flavors that seem to keep me warm and comforted throughout the fall and winter months. So today lemon and berries made it into our muffins. And it has me sharing these sweet and tart beauties with you as well...

Lemon Berry Muffin Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, egg, nut and seed-free}

1 cup of finely gournd GF oat flour (or buckwheat flour)
1/2 cup of white rice flour
1/2 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of millet flour
1/4 cup of coconut flour
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1 1/2 ts. of baking powder

2/3 cup of maple syrup or pure honey or a mix of both*
1/2 cup of soft or melted coconut oil
1/2 cup of coconut milk beverage or other non-dairy milk
1 TB of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of applesauce
1 organic lemon--- use the 1/3 cup of fresh lemon juice + the zest from the whole lemon (1 TB)
1/2 ts. of pure lemon flavoring (or use food-grade lemon essential oil 10-12 drops [I used Young Living Lemon Oil])

1/2-1 cup of chopped fresh strawberries
1/4 cup of frozen or fresh blueberries

*I used a mixture of honey and maple syrup to keep the muffins a lighter color as well,plus their flavors with the lemon is amazing- but if for some reason you want to use coconut sugar instead or regular sugar you can add in 1/2 cup of sugar of choice 1/4 or so cup of either honey or maple syrup. 

First, mix all the GF flours and dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add in the wet ingreidents and whisk together well. Then you can use an oiled 1/4 cup scoop and pour batter into the mufin tins. Then I distribute the fresh and frozen berries on the tops of all the muffins... you can squish them in and cover each top generously. You could also pour all the berries into the batter and fold in bfore you scoop into muffin tins- I put the berries on top this time around so that they would look pretty and bake right on top. Either way is great or do a little of both too. You just have to be carefut to not over stuff each muffin with too many berries. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 minutes and then take from oven and let cool well for at least 15 minutes before moving to avoid crumbling. 

These muffins could be made into minis too- just maybe make sure your berries are cut smaller and do not domintae the smaller size. 

I must say, lemon and berries is one of my most favorite flavor combos. So for me, these are a comfort muffin - but I hope they offer you some color and fresh flavor to your spring steps. 

Much love and happy baking, xoxo

"YES" Cookies

The kids were helping me the other day in the kitchen. We decided to bake a batch of cookies to share. I asked... "Should we add chocolate chips? Should we add raisins? Should we make them chocolatey? Or what about molasses cookies?"... and the answers kept being "Yes! Yes! Yes!" So these are the cookies where everything was thrown in and it actually turned out kid-approved-amazing. They are a mix of just a plain oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with added chopped dates and sweet raisins. Also some how a little molasses into the dough added a whole new level of taste and now I'm so glad the kids said "yes!" Sometimes it's the curious creativity of kids that reminds us that there needs to be more YES's and less NO's in life.

We made these from my base Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe idea and added in some extras with what we had in the pantry. I used up some date paste and added some chopped dates as well- so the cookies have the sweet and soft caramelly taste weaved throughout the rest of the crunchy chewy goodness. Dates are a new favorite combo with chocolate chip cookies.... it's a sweet and salty component that can't be beat!

They remind me almost of a trail mix granola bar type treat because of all the crunchy and sweetness of the dried fruit. I bet you could make a big batch of these before the hike, camping trip, or long-drive adventure and your people will thank you for it. Seriously- I know if we are going on a little adventure my people seem to stay happier longer if I have little treats to keep us going. Not to mention.... nourished! These little babies are packed with protein, minerals and vitamins- also all things my kids can say "yes" to without really knowing it while chomping on a cookie ;)

"YES" Cookies Recipe

{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, seed and refined sugar-free}

2 cups of rolled gluten-free oats

2 cups of finely ground certified GF oat flour (I grind my own out of rolled oats)
1/3 cup of cocoa/cacao powder
1/3 cup of tapioca flour (or arrowroot)
1/3 cup of potato starch
1/3 cup of rice flour

2/3-3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 ts. of baking powder
1 1/2 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of ginger

1/2 cup of date puree paste (I make this out of pitted dates soaked in boiling water and blending in high powered blender until you get a pudding like substance- same amount of dates per water, in this recipe that would mean 1/2 cup of each but you can make a few cups at a time and store in the fridge for further use)

1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/4 cup of blackstrap molasses
3/4 cup of soft or melted coconut oil

1/2 cup of chopped dates
1/2 cup of raisins
1/2 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips

Mix all the dry ingredients together first, then add the wet and mix well and add the oil and mix into a sticky dough. Use a TB to spoon the dough into balls onto a baking sheet. For best results one your baking sheet with parchment paper. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 12-14 minutes or until your desired crispy cookie liking. Let the cookies cool for at least 15 minutes before moving to avoid cookie breakage. This recipe made about 2 dozen medium/lg sized cookies....but you could make 3 dozen small ones I bet.

I hope you can say "yes" to this cookie recipe and make some for yourself. Happy baking!!!!

Much love, xoxo

Chocolate Chip Date Cookie Bars

A little dark chocolate, a little course sea salt, and all the sweet and salty goodness one could ask for in a little dessert. These cookie bars have been experimented on more than a few times now and I am finally posting the best recipe version I came up with. Just in time for Super Bowl Sunday tomorrow, of course ;) 

 

The delectable dates offer once again some moisture, some texture and most of all a rich caramel-like flavor that stays with you. And a little square is all you might need to satisfy that after dinner craving for a little sweet and salty. Some say you don't need dessert while trying to live a healthy life. Obviously I beg to differ with the need to have balance and a healthy relationship with such good ingredients like dark chocolate and dates. You can have an opinion of your own of course ;) But I would maybe wait until you give this one a try...haha :)

This recipe is super easy too. Just whip up the batter and then pour in your parchment 9x13, bake, wait and enjoy. I am almost sure you could roll out eat cookie from the dough as well, but when you can spread it out and cut into each chewy bite like this, I would say make it easy on yourself, friend... Seriously. Why take on any extra stress these days, amiright?!? I hope you give it a whirl and ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Date Cookie Bars Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, soy, nut, and seed free}

3/4 cup of rice or millet flour
3/4 cup of GF certified oat or buckwheat flour (I grind my own out of whole groats)
1/2 cup of tapioca flour
1/3 cup of potato starch flour
2 TB of coconut flour
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
1/4 cup of maple syrup
1/2 cup of coconut oil (or sub avocado oil here or half of each)
1/2 cup of date puree (or sub 1/4 cup for applesauce)
1/2-3/4 cup of dairy-free chocolate chips

Mix all the dry ingredients together first in a large mixing bowl, then add in the oil and blend it well and then mix in the wet date paste and syrup and it becomes a carmel-ly color and that is when you can fold in the chocolate chips. I usually add 1/2 cup chips to the batter and sprinkle a few more on top after it is spread out in the pan. You can cut and place a piece of parchment in a 9x13 pan and then pour in the batter and spread even. It is like a brownie/blondie batter and use a spatula to evenly smooth through the pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 25  minutes and then sprinkle very course sea salt on top for a finishing touch. If you are not a fan of that flavor with dark chocolate then I would omit. Let cool for 3-4 hours before you cut into! This is very important to avoid crumbling and a messy finish. I know it will be hard to do this (yep, I cheated here ;) But it will bring out a better final product to serve in the end. 

I love how easy these are to mix up and serve. You can lift out the parchment after fully cooled and use a chef knife and cut into even squares. I get 24 bars out of the pan usually. 

Serve and ENJOY!

Lots of love and light to you....xoxo

Cinnamon Raisin Toaster Rolls

I wanted to call these cinnamon raisin 'english muffins', but since I didn't prepare them in an official english muffin pan I decided to call them toaster rolls :) But really they alleviate the missing of a good ol' english muffin or even bagel. They are without yeast...eggs...dairy and of course gluten. Which is crazy.... because they are actually still wonderful... or more so ;)

Yes, it's another breakfast recipe. And yes it is also another rendition of my bread recipe. I use that simple recipe as a base to so many of my takes on doughs and breads.  I also realized as I was typing out this post that I made this cinnamon raisin bread 3 years ago almost to the day and it's basically the same recipe- just a few changes and the obvious difference in rolling out the dough instead of a large loaf. Both options are great and it's so funny to me how cinnamon raisin goodness MUST be a serious comfort food for me in the dead of winter ;)

I love how you can toast these up so easily. I love the crispy edges. I love the soft and sweet raisins. I love the chewy middles and the way the butter and jam melts on a toasted finish. I usually can't make up my mind if I want some ghee and honey, or some vegan butter, or homemade jam, or even a special treat of some vegan cream cheese. Or go for the nut or seed butter... the list goes on and on...

There is something genuinely comforting about the smell of the cinnamon and raisins in the morning. It's a wonderfully safe winter wake-up call aroma. It's like it's there to tell you that it's ok to pull down the warm quilts and face the day head on and feet on the ground. And, I know I feel hopeful when the day starts out like this ;) That is my hope for you as well... maybe you don't live in a cold winter climate like me, and maybe you don't really care about 'english muffins' or cinnamon and raisins (haha!), but my hope for you is that you can start to have a healthy and balanced relationship with food again and that recipes like these only help bring a little bread-redemption to your life. Happy Baking, friends xoxo

Cinnamon Raisin Toaster Rolls Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, yeast, nut, seed, soy and sugar-free}

3 TB of psyllium husk powder
1 cup of non-dairy milk
1 cup of water
1 TB of blackstrap molasses
1 TB pure honey
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 TB of olive oil
1 TB of ground cinnamon powder
3/4 cup of organic raisins

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the psyllium husk powder, water, milk and apple cider vinegar together. It will turn into a thickened blob in a few minutes, then whisk in the oil, molasses and honey in together. *You can sub the honey for maple syrup if you are a strict vegan* and then add the cinnamon and raisins and let sit together for a few minutes before adding the dry ingredients...

Then, add all of the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula or wooden spoon until all of the flour is blended, but be careful to not over mix and make it too sticky. 

2 cups of finely ground certified gluten-free oat flour (I grind my own from GF rolled oats)
1 cup of white rice flour
1/4 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt

It will be spongy and you can dump the dough on a parchment paper or wood cutting board. Use more rice or oat flout to knead the raisins well into the dough and also sprinkle with a tad more rice flour if needed to help roll the dough into a ball, cut in half and then each half into 6 parts. Then into 12 parts. Form a ball with each part and smash and roll into a palm-sized patty. 

Place all of them on a parchment paper 11x15 baking sheet and bake 

in a 375 degree oven for 22-25 minutes. Until golden and crispy.

Let the rolls cool completely, then take a seated bread knife and cut each roll so that it is ready to toast in the morning or even make an easy to-go sandwich on. It is also great to freeze like this and pull from the freezer and pop in the toaster oven to defrost and toast. 

Yep, I know what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow :) 

Much light and love (and warmth ;) to you xoxo

Homemade Pizza Crust {gluten, dairy, egg and yeast-free}

Pizza... either you dream of it or despise it in your newly made gluten-free life. I understand. Mostly I miss the convenience of just ordering a pizza like it's no thang. The nostalgia....oh and so easy.... and loved by most. And let's be honest... pizza and your favorite drink of bubbly [mine currently is grape kombucha ;)] is just the BEST home-date-night food with your love [and holey comfy clothes, faithful couch and your favorite show]!  Plus, I love the creativity of colors, flavors and textures of making homemade pizzas. I grew up on making homemade pizza dough weekly and that's why I probably ached to find a recipe to start making for my own little family. Friday night is now known as pizza night in our house... and my son reminds me most nights of the week how many days till Friday because of it ;)

Although I am just sharing, I actually have been making this dough for years. It is based on 'my bread' recipe with a few adjustments that I have developed over the years to make it a crispy crust and a softer-chewier center and all around great crust. It also has no yeast- or eggs- so it is VERY allergy friendly, not to mention wonderful to not have to wait for anything yeast-rising or proofing. It is just ready to go after you whip it up and roll it out. Like magic ;)

The recipe makes 4 personal-sized pizza doughs, or 2 large, or 3 mediums. I usually end up making 3 different pizzas in our house. One for the dairy-lover, one for the dairy-free and even one for the just sauce and toppings and no cheese/cheeze too. So yes, we have our fair share of allergies and opinions around these parts. Which makes creating your own personal pizza that more fun. They also freeze GREAT- so roll out and bake an extra, then freeze to be ready to just pull out and top with your toppings and bake- its the closest thing to frozen pizza if you ask me :)

The beauty of pizza is that you can make it what you like. Oh the toppings and combos I have made over the years! Some of my favorites have included using a hot pepper jelly, cilantro, leftover BBQ shredded chicken, with fresh herbs and a possible sprinkle of goat cheese ;) I love the sweet, spicy combo almost always and so having a fruit (apples, pineapple, pears, raisins) addition is totally my favorite. Another great topping was caramelized onions and apples over a pizza with BBQ chicken and forgo the cheese option altogether.  That is fab too. My go-to, have in the fridge already combo is peppers, onions, kale, sausage, and herbs and cheese option (Daiya is pictured, but we have used goat, organic mozzarella and other local farm cheese combos). We have one child with severe dairy allergies in the house, and a child that can tolerate and LOVES cheese, so I am NON-judgmental when it comes to whatever kind of cheese or no cheese you add to a pizza. It really is what you make it and I have had some great pizzas with and without it too. So don't let the cheese discourage you from making a pizza.....pile it high with veggies, slaw, saute, more sauce or whatever makes you happy and your body can still feel great too.

Homemade Pizza Crust Recipe
{gluten, yeast, dairy, egg, nut, seed, soy and sugar-free}

4 TB of psyllium husk powder
1 cup of pure water
3/4 cup of non-dairy milk (I used coconut milk beverage) Or even add more water
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 TB of honey
2 TB of olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, whisk up the above well until it starts to thicken and make sure NO clumps. Then add in the following dry ingredients...

1 1/2 cup of finely ground certified GF oat flour (I ground GF rolled oats to make flour)
1 cup of white rice flour* (plus 1/2 cup more for kneading and rolling out)
1/3 cup of potato starch
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
2 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of sea salt
1 ts. of baking soda

Use a spatula to first mix up the wet and dry together well. Then start to use your hands to knead and roll the dough into a large ball. Use a sprinkle of more rice flour if it is sticky when you knead to get a nice large ball of dough. If you are making personal pizzas.... cut the ball into 4 quarters. Otherwise, break up the big lump into 2-3 pieces and place each ball onto a parchment paper with a sprinkle of rice flour. Roll out with a rolling pin into a 6x6 inch for personal circle and then to get perfect edges, cut with a clean pizza cutter roller and make the sharp edge. Use the remaining dough cut off in another lump of dough until you are done.

Then bake the crusts first before adding toppings in a 375-400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. I left a range for tempts and times because each person varies on whether they like crispy/crunchy  or a softer crust. That is up to you ;) Bake and let sit for 15 minutes before adding toppings or let cool completely and have ready for the dinner hour, or wrap up and put in the freezer. 

*You can also sub in different flours for the oat, and rice. If you are trying to avoid those grains, you can sub buckwheat for the oats, millet for the rice and quinoa to cover the rest. That is a protein rich combo as well. It is a bit more earthy tasting and perhaps a little more "healthy granola crunchy" tasting. But still does the job if you have been on a strict grain-free diet- it is a good starting place to add in the easier digesting grains or some even call them seed grains because they are much more commonly digested like seeds over grains. 

After your crusts are ready, add your favorite sauce and toppings and bake for another 15-20 minutes in a 375-400 degree oven. I have found that baking at a higher tempt with shorter time gets the toppings right where I like them, but also a slower bake works too.... Another thing based on preference. So just watch it carefully so that you don't burn. I have also found baking closest to the middle section of any oven proves the best results. 

Now it's time to settle in and ENJOY! I love pizza night just as much as the kids, so I guess I shouldn't blame it all on them that it stuck :) It is such a great family night and a way to add some traditions and routine into our home. I hope you give this recipe a try and find your own groove with it and enjoy it as much as us. Much love as always. xoxo