Cherry Chocolate Snow Cake

It's been a winter wonderland for the last 10 days here in Michigan- so much snow! We are not complaining (now)- just enjoying the cozyness and the excitement the snow brings as it ushers in more Christmas spirit. I'm sure when January rolls around we will be a little more whiney about the constant shoveling and delays that snow brings, but for now I am truly enjoying the quiet and still gorgeous beauty of the snow falling. There is something magical in watching the world be glittered with gentle white powder sprinkles from the sky.  It stills the racing heart if you let it- something to sit and do amongst the crazy season of shopping, baking, wrapping and parties.

My kids saw this cake I was making and thought the sprinkle of powdered sugar on top looked like the beautiful snow and called it the snow cake :) Seems appropriate because we have been watching snow fall for so many days now. A cake is always needed to celebrate if you ask me and chocolate and cherries always help no matter what the season :)

This week also marks the Winter Solstice on Wednesday at 5:44 EST.  So the "shortest" day of the year for us in the Northern Hemisphere with the darkest day and hours of sunlight you can count on your hands. Traditionally the Winter Solstice is a time to reflect in the darkness and to journey deep within to restore and nourish from the inside out. I think the body observes these cycles whether we are aware or not- this shift in our world is happening whether we are present in it or not. So, being aware allows us to dig deeper into our thoughts, hearts and soul. I can appreciate the space to do this, if I actually allow myself to slow down and live fully present in this gift of life.

I have been enjoying my time in the kitchen this Christmas season. I know it may seems a little unreal or crazy that I do so much baking at my house.... but it is just a part of me. It may even be said to be "easy" for me to bake, cook, create. And it is most days- but I see it as my gift to share. That's what these recipes and blog is all about-it comes from a place in me that needs to be shared and given. I truly see what I have been given a gift- my life, my loved ones, my kids, and every detail of my little livelihood. But what brings me more hope, joy, purpose is when I can share what I have been given. The recipes are my gift to you. I hope they find you so that you can create them and share and enjoy them too. I know that it is not much when it comes to all that is hard and difficult in our world- but if it makes your home and life a little brighter- in the simplest of ways- then I know it was worth creating and sharing. 

So I hope you enjoy and have the merriest of Christmases with moments of hope, peace, joy and LOVE. You have been given the greatest gift of love and now it's our turn to share it too. Merry Christmas and much love and light to you xoxo

Cherry Chocolate Snow Cake Recipe
{free of gluten, dairy, soy, corn, nuts and seeds}

1 1/4 cup of gluten free oat flour
2/3 cup white rice flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
1/4 cup of coconut flour
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup of cocoa powder
2 ts. of baking powder (I use Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt

1/3 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of maple syrup
1 cup of date puree ***This involves pouring 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup of pitted dates and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes and then blending in a high powered blender to whip up a creamy date-pudding like substance.

1 ts. of pure vanilla
1 cup of warmed coconut oil
1 cup of coconut milk beverage (I use So Delicious)
2 TB of apple cider vinegar

2/3 cup of chocolate chips morsels (Enjoy life brand)

2 cups of frozen chopped pitted cherries, halved (I used ones from last summer pickings in our freezer, but any frozen cherry will do, tart or sweet)

First grind your GF oat flour and mix well with all the other dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet ingredients, date puree and lastly the warmed oil. Mix well and you will start to see the vinegar and baking powder do it's work and make the batter poof up a bit. Fold down and then mix in the chocolate chips, and then lastly the halved frozen cherries

Pour in a coconut-oil-lined baking pan. I baked mine in a bundt or angel food cake pan. But you could also make this in a 9x9 circle or square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until it is no longer wet and giggling. The cake should show a clean toothpick from the middle of the cake and firm, but soft. no wetness. Pull from the oven and let it cool completely.

When it is cool completely, you can use a sieve and sift powdered sugar over the top looking like snow falling on such a dark chocolate cake. I use about 1/4 cup of sugar, and I use the organic powdered sugar because it is processed with tapioca starch and no corn. 

Set up with some fresh cherries, cranberries, or green grapes for a little red and green color with the cake. It is a rich cake, but some coconut ice cream or whipped topping is a nice touch too. 

Hope you ENJOY! Happy Baking :)

Turkey Sausage, Kale and Cherry Stuffing

This has been my stuffing recipe for the past 4 years and I have never shared it with you. I've thought through why this hasn't happened and I guess it is just because it always gets eaten so fast after the holidays that I don't have time to take pictures and document it. Also things are always so busy in the kitchen around the holidays that it just hasn't been a recipe I have taken the time to write down and make into something to share. I know- it seems a bit complicated because of a few steps, but it is relatively easy after you bake and dry out the bread. And if you have made my bread before and have become a master at it yourself then you are more than half-way there. I think my bread is what makes it special. It's hearty and thick and gets all perfect with the other soaked flavors. I know Martha Stewart makes a versions of this type of stuffing with her own regular bread- so there's that- but, this one is special because of my bread. There are so many stuffing recipes out there and some have very passionate opinions when it comes to stuffing- but let me tell you- this recipe will forever change your mind about stuffing. And as I finally served it to some of my closest friends over last Thanksgiving- they declared it was their favorite dish I EVER made. That seems quite the exaggeration if you ask me :) Because we all know that I make a lot of food- and these friends have probably had 100's of my recipes- but they fell in love and when you fall in love- you say crazy things :)

Turkey Sausage Kale Cherry Stuffing Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nut, seed and refined sugar-free}

2 loaves of bread- this BREAD RECIPE doubled
after baking the bread, cooling it and letting dry-out- cut each loaf into slices and then cube up each slice to come up with a 11x15 baking sheet worth of bread cube crumbs. 

Then bake and dry out in a 300 degree oven for 20-30 minutes and then check and toss through and then bake again for 20-30 minutes until the bread cubes are like croutons and hard and very crunchy. The timing on this may vary with each oven, but basically you have to keep checking on them to make sure they are getting dried how and crunchy and not burned. 

2 pounds of raw turkey sausage 
(I buy mine at a local farm at the farmer's market- it is actually a "breakfast" sausage blend, but it is just seasoned with paprika, herbs, sugar, and a little black pepper and salt. Any favorite turkey sausage or even pork sausage will do the trick- just make sure it is raw so you can ground it up with all the seasonings. I buy mine frozen, so I thaw it out for 12 hours and then toss in a large 8 quart pot and ground up and brown into chunks. Then pour our of the pot while you sauce up the rest of the veggies and then you can add in back in before you add the broth. 

2 TB of olive oil for sautéing
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
1 whole bunch of celery, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves finely chopped and minced
1/2-1 cup of chopped poultry blend fresh herbs (sage, thyme, rosemary)
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
1 1/2 cups of finely chopped lacinato kale

Sauté on medium heat the above veggies and herbs for 5-10 minutes to get the onion and garlic soft, then add back the browned sausage, and then add the apples, cherries and broth.

1-2 small peeled and finely chopped apples
12 or 16 ounces of organic dried cherries
4 cups of organic chicken broth

Cook in the broth and let it come to a boil and then pour the bread cubes in the huge pot and turn off the heat. Toss and mix as quickly as you can so that the broth evenly distributes itself over all the bread cubes and then very quickly pour into a large 11x15 Pyrex dish, or even a 9x13 work for it to have it in a pile in the middle, or you can use a 9x9 to use up the rest of the mixture. Or if you have a special glass (oven OK dish) that would fit the whole mixture. Then use foil to cover it- let it sit in the fridge for at least 4 hours, but it can be over night. I have also froze it at this stage and pulled it our the day of the dinner. Then, the day of the meal, bake off in a 350 degree oven for 45-50 minutes. For the first 30 minutes with the foil on, and then the last 20 with the foil off to get some crispy tops of the bread pieces. If you don't like or what crispy edges, and prefer a more moist finish, then go ahead and keep the foil on. Make sure the middle is HOT before you totally pull from oven. Then let cool for a few minutes before serving with the rest of the feast and fixings.

This is a perfect Thanksgiving stuffing- but also has been eaten as a cozy comfort meal through out the winter months. It would pair well with a roast or ham as well for Christmas. There is no going back after you have tried it- so let it be known I have warned you :)

Much love xoxo

Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin pie. It seems like we should be allowed to make such delicacies more than once a year... or for a certain holiday... Yes, Thanksgiving is special because of such treats, but must we leave it to only one day a year? I say not. I say it will still be a special occurrence no matter when!

 

Perhaps you stocked up on extra canned pumpkin, or maybe you still have a chance to hit the grocery sale shelf before it's December. Or maybe you baked off a handful of fresh pie pumpkins and stuck that liquid gold in the freezer for all winter long. Then we can be long lost friends and talk about how much we love pumpkin and what a gift it is sent from heaven above.

It's true, I'm crazy about pumpkin and have made many varieties of pumpkin pie or pudding bars over the years (and more and more pumpkin). It's hard for me to make a version more than once, maybe twice, so this new recipe is my latest invention over the past holiday. So naturally I'm most in love with this one :) And this one contains some DATES for sweetness and texture. So amazing creamy caramel-like taste and texture. Delicious on so many levels.

I'm sharing it because I ate my last piece today and I'm missing already. Maybe I could convince my loved ones that we may need to celebrate some of our Christmas festivities with another one. Because. Just one pie a year?!?  No, way baby! This one is too good!

Maybe it's the taste, or maybe it's just the feelings of being around a table with family and friends that share their hearts about what they are thankful for and how this year has brought pain and love. Every soul shares in this journey of moving through life with the pain, sorrow, but also the joys and abundance too. This pie has a part in that story too. It is almost as if it has a seat at the table of such thanksgiving and gratitude.

Pumpkin Pie Recipe
{gluten, dairy, soy, nut, seed and refined sugars-free} contains eggs

Crust Recipe:
3/4 cup finely ground certified GF oat flour
1/2 cup rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 cup potato flour
1/2 ts. sea salt
2 TB of palm oil shortening
2 TB of room temperature coconut oil
2 TB maple syrup
2 ts. apple cider vinegar
1 ts. of water

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together first, then add in the oil and shortening and make it a sandy mix, and then add in the syrup, water and vinegar and mix it well together. It may be a sticky dough but it will start to form a dough ball and you can knead it and let it sit for it to all meld together well. Then toss into a pie pan and press it into all the sides of the pan, or you can roll it out to size of a 9 inch pan, and put it into the pan and cut accordingly. Its a pretty easy recipe to do either way. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes until lightly golden and slightly firm. Let it completely cool before putting the pumpkin filling in and baking again.

Pumpkin Filling:

2 cups of fresh pumpkin puree
1 can of full-fall coconut milk

1/2 cup of date puree (this can be omitted- I add it for flavor and texture)

1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar

1/4 cup of of maple syrup

3 beaten eggs  *you can omit these if you are allergic or vegan, the texture is just different

2 TB of tapioca flour

1 1/2 ts. of baking powder (I use the Hain brand- to be corn free)

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 TB of pumpkin pie spice blend

1 ts. of pure vanilla

For date puree: (1/2 cup of boiling water poured over 1/2 cup of pitted dates, soak for 5 minutes and then blend in high powdered blender to make a pudding substance)

In a large mixing bowl, add in all of the wet ingredients and the beaten eggs. Then add in the spices  and whisk together well. Then pour into cooled pie crust. You then can place on a baking sheet or just put in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the pumpkin is tightened up. This may be confusing because it will still appear to be gooey or giggling, but the baked cracks usually show that it is baked through, but needs to set up while cooling on the counter and in the fridge. So do not be alarmed if it seems too soft after 50-60 minutes of baking. You do not want it to get too browned or burned. Then let it cool on the counter after baking for 1-2 hours. Then lightly cover with some kind of wrap and put in the fridge for overnight or for 6-8 hours. 

Then, after refrigerating for 8-10 hours it will be ready for eating. I like cutting into it and removing one slice so that the rest of the slices are easier to fork out. It is so good by itself, but if you are looking for a great dairy-free alternative to pure dairy fresh whipped cream-this Coconut Whip from So Delicious is fabulous and made from better ingredients and brings back all cool-whip-feelings from younger years.

Each bite is fabulous and you don't want it to end. I also have no problem and recommend such wonderfulness for breakfast the day after :) I mean it has a good full servings of veggies and much lower on the sweetness scale. So with a coffee or chai latte- you just can't beat it.

I confess the above picture was my breakfast for the weekend after Thanksgiving. It really is something I look forward to after all the work of preparing food for a few days. Those lazy mornings after with jammies on till noon and eating pumpkin pie for breakfast- such is the life my friends.

Hope you had a blessed holiday and looking onward to this advent season of longing, and hope. 

Much love as always,

xoxo

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

Just in time for another Thanksgiving recipe! Maybe a cranberry and orange cake, aint your thang, or maybe you need a little pumpkin + chocolate in your life or on the Thanksgiving menu. If so, this cake is for you :) I have made this cake more than a few times now and haven't wrote out a recipe. Yesterday I made it again for a family gathering, and finally wrote it out and was very happy with the results.

The first time I made it I was working from my pumpkin date muffins  recipe that I had made, and it was great, but to fill a bundt pan and to have the texture and moist-ness it needed it had to have the measurements adjusted to get the cake at it's best. So, I've done the leg-work for you and the experimenting ;) now it's your turn to try out this treat for the holidays or family gathering.

I hope you are finding time to reflect this season. It's so easy to be sad and stressed when your life revolves around what you can and cannot eat because of your health. And that can only escalates in a season of food traditions and even if you are a food blogger ;) Trust me, even after a decade of eating gluten-free (and many allergies-free) the depression/anxiety/sadness/grief feelings still unmask it's ugly self. So a simple way for me to deal with these emotions and stress is simply making a list of the many foods I CAN eat, and then finding a recipe or two that I CAN eat and enjoy and making it apart of my menu and even if it means starting a new tradition. I know that this does not take away the grief, and it is important to sit with that grief and really see it as that. Something that has also helped me over the years is writing out the simple things that I am thankful for each day....sometimes silly, but when you need to be reminded of how much in our lives is a gift- it seems really important. So it can be the things you use every day, the hot shower, indoor plumbing, the favorite mug from a friend, that one recipe you love and enjoy, the sunrise, chai tea, the sunset, your dear loved ones, and as you can see, an endless list of the gifts in your life. Food is a very important part, but it is not the only part, so trying to not let it be the controlling factor of your emotions is really important. And then when you can see it as just part of the balance to fill you up in your life, then you can start to find how food can be a gift to nourish a tired and weary body and soul. My prayer and hope for you is that food might be just that- a way for you to nourish your whole self. A way to inspire and fill up your body and soul to be the best version of your self. Many blessings and much love to you, friend xoxo

 Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake Recipe
{gluten, dairy, egg, seed, nut, and refined sugar-free}VEGAN

1 1/2 cup of finely ground GF oat flour
1 cup of white rice flour
1/3 cup of tapioca flour
1/4 cup of potato starch
1/4 cup of coconut flour
3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
2 ts. of baking powder (I use Hain brand)
1 ts. of baking soda
1 ts. of sea salt
2 TB of pumpkin pie spice blend

1/3 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree (I used 1 can of Green Valley pumpkin)

1 cup of date puree ***This involves pouring 1 cup boiling water over 1 cup of pitted dates and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes and then blending in a high powered blender to whip up a creamy date-pudding like substance.

3/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1/3 cup of coconut milk beverage ( I use So Delicious)
 plus 1 TB apple cider vinegar
juice from 1 fresh lemon - 1-2 TB of juice

1 cup of dairy-free mini chocolate chips (Enjoy life brand)

First grind your GF oat flour and mix well with all the other dry ingredients. Then mix in the wet ingredients, date puree and lastly the warmed oil. Mix well and you will start to see the lemon juice and baking powder do it's work and make the batter poof up a bit. Fold down and then mix in the mini chocolate chips, but making sure to not over mix.

Pour in a coconut-oil-lined baking pan. I baked mine in a bundt or angel food cake pan. But you could also make this in a 9x9 circle or square pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 40 minutes or until it is no longer wet and giggling. The cake should show a clean toothpick from the middle of the cake and firm, but soft. no wetness. Pull from the oven and let it cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze Recipe
1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup of maple syrup
2 TB of cocoa powder
pinch of sea salt

In a small saucepan, melt the above ingredients and whisk very quickly with a hand whisk then pull off the heat. Be very careful to just warm and not boil or over cook and burn. Let sit for a few minutes to cool, and then pour over the top of the cooled cake just on top and let it drip over the sides in an organic fashion. Let it cool for 1-2 hours before serving. 

Then cut and serve. It is a beautiful cake and holds it form so beautifully... it's so easy to serve and would match well with some tea or coffee as well. Hope you give it a try and ENJOY!
 much love xoxo

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole + Thanksgiving

 

Happy Pre-Thanksgiving craziness to you! 

There is so much shuffle and bussel and 
I wish you well in the preparing and making. 

And most of all I wish you well 
in the resting, celebrating, thanking, and enjoying 
your loves and gifts in life.

This year I am in charge of some GF sweet potatoes and GF stuffing at our family gathering. I realized that I never posted my "healthified" sweet potato recipe that I have been making the past few years. So that is what is below. Which if you ask me, it isn't Thanksgiving without the sweet potatoes. Ok maybe the pumpkin pie, but the sweet potatoes are pretty much just as important. I must have a thing for orangey beta-carotene filled goodies. Because who doesn't love a dessert that is actually a dose of vegetables and vitamins?!

Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

4 large sweet potatoes, pealed and chopped in chunks
1/2 cup of pure maple syrup
1 cup of non-dairy milk: I use coconut or hemp
1 TB of pure vanilla
1/3 cup of warmed coconut oil
4 eggs (to veganize use 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce)
1/2 ts. of sea salt

Topping:
either 1 1/2 cup of oats, quinoa flakes or crushed GF rice or corn cereal (like either flakes or chex-like)
1/2 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 cup of warmed coconut oil
1/2 cup of either pecans or raw sunflower seeds

Peel and chop 4 large sweet potatoes and put them in a large pot and just cover with water. Boil for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are fork soft and then drain and put back in the pot. 

Then, add all of the other non-topping ingredients and whisk with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes on high power. Until the mixtures is fully mixed and there is a bit of a whipped appearance. 

Then pour the batter into 1 9x13 pan or 2 9x9 pans. I made two small pans. One to be nut-free and the other would have the pecan topping. Then, in another small bowl mix the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the sweet potato batter.

You can at this point put in the fridge to bake off at the later dinner time or if you are making this day of, you can put in the oven covered with foil for 25 minutes at 350 degrees, and then take off the foil for the topping to get a little crispy for another 15 minutes. Total 40 minutes baking to make sure the whole pan is bubbling hot and baked to perfection. 

Here (above) is a picture of my rice cereal and pecan mix topping. The picture below is of a oat and sunflower seed topping. You may want to add some spice to this dish with some cinnamon or orange. But let me tell you, there is something very simple and special about sweet potatoes, vanilla and coconut oil and sugar. Oh not to mention the maple syrup! Super simple and buttery-delish dish.

Obviously, I make this simple treat for Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas, but really you don't have to just have this during the holidays. It would actually make a superb breakfast and you could have it all week long to warm up every morning if you so desired. It is a great way to add some veggies to your morning oats and fiber.

I will be bringing my pecan-topped one for the big day, but I have been enjoying the oats and sun seeds this week to get excited for Thanksgiving food. It is so fabulous...but of course I have raved about my love for sweet potatoes long enough. So just make sure you don't forget them for the big feast.

This is supposed to be a side dish, but could easily just be part of the dessert table as well. It is best warm from the oven, but is so good and simple that it would be just as wonderful cooled down as well.

I hope you enjoy and try this simple (way too simple) recipe out, even if it is next week with some of the leftover (on sale) sweet potatoes you have lingering in the pantry.

I want to also share some of my other most favorite Thanksgiving dishes below...ENJOY!
And many Thanksgiving Blessings to you and yours.

Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

(gluten-free, dairy-free soy-free)

(mostly egg and nut-free as well)

Locally Raised Fresh Turkey and Gravy

+Turkey Brine Recipe by The Pioneer Woman

+Roasting Turkey Tips without Breaded Stuffing

+Gluten-Free Gravy by Whole Life Nutrition

Creamy Whipped Mashed Potatoes (vegan)

8-10 pounds of Yukon Potatoes pealed and roughly chopped

boiled in a large pot of water until extra soft

drained in strainer and then put back in large pot

with a hand-held mixer blend hot potatoes

with vegetable broth and Earth Balance soy-free

sprinkle sea salt and black pepper to you taste

using an "egg-white" whisk in the mixer will make it extra creamy

you can add finely chopped herbs or other spice to your taste...

Cornbread Herb Stuffing

Cranberry-Apple Relish

Green Beans with Maple Caramelized Apples

 Maple Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Coconut Cream Pie

Apple Pie Bars

Spicy Cranberry Punch

Soft and Chewy Oat Baguette Bread 

*I am actually going to try a variation of a Martha Stewart Stuffing recipe with my oat baguette bread this year. I will post if all goes well in time for a Christmas dinner feast*

Some of my other Thanksgiving-worthy recipes 

Brussel Sprouts with Cranberries

Fresh Pumpkin Soup

Sweet Potato Cornbread

Savory Pumpkin Corn Muffins

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Pumpkin Pudding Bars 

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!

Soft and Chewy Baguette Bread (gluten, dairy, yeast, nut and sugar-free)

Have you noticed? I talk about the weather a lot. I did at one point want to be a weather-gal on the evening news, but as we all know that hasn't happened (yet!). I also like how people who are farmers, gardeners, and growers are close to the weather predictions and forecasts because their livelihood depends on it. I feel like because I have become a fellow gardener I understand this more than ever.  And now, I feel like my sensitive soul is just a bit more in tune on how the weather does affect our health and moods. Call my crazy, but I defiantly see differences in how people feel and act depending on the weather and what may be brewing up in the atmosphere. Or how the cycles of the moon play into and affect our sleep (and digestion) as well. It is just another example on how everything is connected and how you have to be aware of the cause and effect of our lives and what we put into them and take out.

But it turns out, I am a baker. And this just means that I like to use the excuse for bad weather to spend some time baking in the kitchen. So for the last few days with lots more snow, rain, sleet and whatever that slushy yuck stuff is... I have been enjoying some quality baking time in the kitchen. Cooking some hearty soup and of course some bread to pair. Every gluten-free soul must let go of the fact that gluten bread is the only way to really enjoy bread and you have to go out in the world and explore ideas of making bread without wheat and gluten. It can be done. It has been done and many times it surprises you how wonderful it actually can be.

I love to experiment and try new ideas in the kitchen. I have had many failures along the way, but because my mistakes often are remade into a masterpiece later I don't give up.

This recipe was purely inspired by Iris' Easy French Bread at Daily Dietribe, but with some tweaks of my own, and some experimenting with the lack of, or love of other ingredients I came up with this bread that my family loved. I have to buy some whole psyllium husks to try a more accurate version of Iris' recipe. But I was surprised how well the powder worked in this recipe. I have to admit I was a bit nervous to eat a bread based in psyllium husks because of the fear of having too much time in the bathroom (TMI) but still there was no reason for concern for anyone in my household, so be rest assured.... it will not have the same affect of drinking a fiber supplement, unless I guess if you eat the whole loaf in one sitting!

Some of my favorite yummy soups to pair with it, a favorite chicken and rice (or rice noodle) soup recipe, Red Lentil Italian Soup, or a favorite chili recipe. Really any favorite winter soup or stew you may be craving will work perfectly with this yummy bread warm from the oven. Super easy and super healthy too!

Soft and Chewy Baguette Bread Recipe
{gluten, dairy, nut, yeast and gum-free}
Inspired by Iris' Easy French Bread at The Daily Dietribe

1 cup coconut milk beverage (I used So Delicious)
1 cup pure water
2 TB psyllium husk powder (I used powder- not whole)
2 TB apple cider vinegar

2 TB of olive oil
2 TB honey or other liquid sweetener

1 cup of white rice flour
1 cup of white sorghum flour
1 ts. of baking powder
1 ts. of baking soda
1/2 ts. of sea salt

plus handful of white rice flour for dusting


First, in a small glass bowl whisk together the coconut milk,water and psyllium powder. Then add in the vinegar and honey, oil and honey. Whisk together well and let sit for a minute or two. It will become a blob-like substance. Then add all of the mixed together dry ingredients and fold the dry into the wet. It will become a weird blob-like dough and then you can pour it onto a white-rice floured counter top or space with parchment paper. Roll a long 12-15 inch loaf into existence and then fold over and place on an oiled or parchment baking cookie sheet. Dust with more flour if it is sticky and then use a serrated knife to cut some decor lines or whatever pokes you desire. 

Put in 350 degree pre-heated oven for 45-50 minutes and let sit for 15-20 minutes depending on your oven and elevation. 

Use a bread knife to slice thick chewy slices and enjoy with your favorite soup or stew or spread with your favorite butter or jam.

Much love as always, stay warm, and remember spring is really just around the corner...