Blueberry Almond Cake with Creamy Coconut Frosting (gluten-free, vegan)

I am reminded that life is a gift. So many countless blessings to be thankful for. A healthy life is also a gift, even if it takes hard work to get from one awful place of sickness to a place of health and wellness. It is so hard to imagine health when you are so sick. It is sometimes even harder to remember how sick you truly were once you are feeling the beauty of a healthy life again. I am reminded of these feelings because this is a part of my story. I have been down that road of sickness. It is painful. Physically, and emotionally. It is easy to get lost in your own pain and loose a sense of balance and hope for the future. It's hard to imagine... imagine anything. You just want answers and hope...

Then time passes. Your body will heal. It is a powerful being. You seek answers to questions. You work hard to eat real food and treat food as medicine. You find that there is joy and happiness in adding real food and taking away the crap. You start to regain a sense of imagination again. You can start to see that flicker of hope for the future. You start to dream again.

No matter where you are on this healing journey to better health, you must stop and appreciate. Appreciate the journey. Appreciate the process. And appreciate that life is a gift.

Remember where you came from and look forward to where you are going. Push yourself to take the next step. Do that one thing that is holding you back from getting more balance, or more peace in your life. You know what it is. And if you don't, then take the time to reflect on what that might be. Your life is a gift.

This recipe represents this new life of appreciation for me. It is a picture of eating real foods that can be created from scratch to be something beautiful and delicious. There is no pain, no guilt, and no disappointments. Taking a bite of something wonderful to be reminded that this is only the beginning. Gluten-free living doesn't have to be the kind of life sentence that you may think when you first start. It can be liberating. It brings hope that you can heal and live a life full of adventure again.

I made this recipe from the most common ingredients in my kitchen and it turned out wonderfully. I was so excited to enjoy this cake with my husband as a reminder to how beautiful our life is together. It feels good to celebrate and appreciate each other, and to enjoy our amazing son together. I am so grateful.

Blueberry Almond Cake Recipe

1 1/2 cup of ground almond-meal (almonds ground in coffee grinder or food processor)

1/2 cup of millet flour

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

1 ts. of xanthan gum

1 ts. of salt

1 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/3 cup of pure maple syrup

1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup of melted coconut oil

1 cup of So Delicious Coconut milk beverage or other non-dairy milk (mix milk with juice of one lemon*about 2 TB of juice* and let sit for 5-10 minutes to make a buttermilk like cultured milk substance)

1/8 cup of hazelnut So Delicious coffee creamer

1 heaping cup of fresh or frozen blueberries

Mix all the dry ingredients together first, and then add the buttermilk mixture along with all the other wet ingredients. Lastly add the blueberries and do not over store them in to avoid too much blue bleeding into the batter. Mix and pour into a 8x8 or 9x9 circle or square baking pan. Make sure you grease the pan with coconut oil or palm oil to avoid sticking. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. The cake will be pretty moist, but stick a tooth pick into the middle of the cake to test if it is still gooey. It is done when the tops is golden and there is no gooey middle and the pick comes out clean. Let cool for 1 hour before frosting with the following glaze/frosting. The cake is not meant to be super sweet, so the frosting adds the perfect amount of sweetness and flavor.

Coconut Cream Frosting Recipe (vegan):

1 can of organic coconut milk (just scoop out the cream from can and dispose of the coconut water liquid)

1/3-1/2 cup of pure maple syrup

3 TB of tapioca flour

1-2 TB of So Delicious hazelnut creamer

Open the can of coconut milk and scoop out all of the coconut cream and do nit use any of the liquid in the can for the frosting. Then in a bowl with the coconut cream, syrup, flour and creamer. Start with a TB of creamer and if it needs more liquid to blend in the flour, then use 1 more TB. Wisk very well for a few minutes until it is creamy and blended. Then if it is too liquidy- put in the fridge for 30-60 minutes for it to harder up a bit. Then frost the cooled cake and your treat is ready! The cake should serve anywhere from 8-12 people depending on how you slice it up. I have found that this cake is a bit moist and chewy, so it tasted best when kept in the fridge and then eaten cold. It was very rich and yummy and you would be surprised that is vegan and refined sugar free. I hope you are reminded of the beauty of gluten-free eating with this treat and thank God for this beautiful gluten-free life.

Much love to you today!

Millet Morning Glory Muffins (vegan)

It's March and I have had my fair share of oatmeal, rice porridge and hot cereal this winter. All breakfast options that I truly love. A bowl of hot wholemeal goodness is truly what satisfies me in the winter months and sustains me to the lunch hour. But still, a girl sometimes gets bored. So, today I decided I was going to venture out and eat some millet. I just learned yesterday that millet is the only grain that is alkaline compared to the other "acidic" whole grains. So basically this means that if you are looking to lower your acidic food intake and add more balance into your life, millet may be a good choice of grains for you. Variety is always good when it comes to eating grains, especially adding an option of a protein and fiber packed millet.

Millet is actually very easy to make. You basically cook it the same way you would rice. 2 cups of water to 1 cup dried millet. Add a dash of salt or pepper and then you have it. It cooks much quicker than rice, probably about half the time of what it would take rice. It could be used as a cereal in the morning to make porridge, it could be made in salads like you would use quinoa, and then you could add it to a breakfast muffin as I did today...

It has a very earthy taste, but also soft and sometimes crunchy. I bet this would be a good substitute for a couscous recipe or even a bulgur wheat recipe. If you haven't tried millet yet and you are looking to try something a little different then this is a cheap option. I can buy millet at my local market in bulk for about a dollar for 2 cups. That is pretty darn cheap. Millet is packed with a good amount of your essential B vitamins and is also a good source of iron, magnesium and potassium. Eating whole grains is usually cheaper than eating any processed box of sugar cereal, so no excuses! :)
Millet for some reason just had me thinking about morning glory muffins. They are kinda like a bowl of porridge in a muffin and that is exactly what I was looking for. No need to fill up on white flours and sugar- just add some millet and nuts and fruit and you have a nutritious punch of goodness to start the day.
Millet Morning Glory Muffin Recipe

2 cups of cooked millet (see cooking directions below)

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

1/2 cup of tapioca flour

1/2 cup of brown rice flour

2 TB of flaxmeal

1 cup of shredded coconut

2 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of ground cinnamon

1 ts. of ground ginger

1/2 cup of craisins or raisins

1/2 cup of raw walnut pieces

1/2 cup of shredded carrot

1 cup of diced apple pieces

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

1/3 cup of agave nectar or maple syrup

1/3 cup of shredded pineapple with juice (or applesauce)

1/3 cup of So Delicious coconut milk beverage (or other non-dairy milk)

1 ts. of pure vanilla

Cook the dry millet separately ahead of time. Cook one cup of dry millet with 2 cups of water. This should produce 2-3 cups of cooked millet. Then add two cups of cooked millet to a large mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients first, and then mix, then add the wet ingredients and mix all together well. You can either save the raisins/craisins to add on top of the muffin before baking, or add into the batter. This batter will start to gel a bit after you mix it, and then use a 1/3 cup to scoop out batter into the muffin tins. Either oil your muffin tins with coconut oil/palm oil, or use paper muffin paper. This recipe should make 12 medium/large muffins. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes.

As you can see, these muffins are a hearty muffin with lots of textures. They are not meant to be overly sweet, and if you want to add some sweetener or almond butter for topping that is up to you. I will enjoy mine for breakfast with a cup of tea and a snuggle from my son. I love knowing that eating this healthy hearty muffin will also be giving my son a healthy 'breakfast' in his breastmilk. Still eating healthy for two :)

I hope you have a healthy happy day!

Much love to you!

Stephanie

Curried Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties (vegan)

Quinoa and sweet potatoes. Hmmm, yumminess in their purest form. These two whole foods are nutrient dense and some of the cheapest health foods you can buy. Because of that, I make them every week, sometimes more than once or twice. And the usual favorite is sweet potato baked fries. They seem to never get old. And then there is quinoa, the super-food-seed. Quinoa makes it's way into our lives as a pilaf, salad or extra side many days of the week. Separately, I can find so many ways to enjoy them. Yet, this little mash-up of ingredients led me to believe they may be best when put together. A perfect union. A sweet and nutty romance. A love that doesn't fade fast, but grows as time passes. True love.

I have been making myself get creative with some of the same ol' good ingredients that I have in my kitchen. It is easy to get into a rut with your favorite foods. And it isn't always easy to find alternatives or move past what you know and love. Yet, wanting to save a few bucks on the grocery bill by making my pantry food last (and not at the expense of good nutrition) forces you to get creative. I think this usually leads me to a fine moment of discovering there is so much more to whole foods than carrots and rice. So my friends, I literally mashed some quinoa and sweet potatoes together to get this little es amble and I promise you the mix of flavor, spices and texture will not disappoint those taste buds of yours.

Curried Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties Recipe

3 cups of sweet potato puree (just boil diced potato until soft, drain and then mash)

2 cups of cooked quinoa (1 cup of dry quinoa with 2 cups of water, cook like rice for 20 min.)

3-4 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup of finely chopped sweet onion

1/2 cup of millet flour

1 TB of olive oil

1 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of black pepper

1 TB of paprika

1 TB of ground cumin

2 ts. of curry powder

1 TB of dried cilantro

1 TB of dried oregano

optional ingredients/changes:

-1/2 cup other GF flour (b.rice, almond, corn) to add more stiffness, instead of millet.

***Also, the pattie CAN be made without flour, it is just a bit gooey- and you have to let it cool to have it be more manageable.

-1 cup of cooked/washed black beans

fresh herbs instead of dried.

Mix all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Then form large patties in your hands, almost like burger patties. Then place the patties on parchment paper on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. You can flip them half way if you want them to have even crispy sides. This recipe should make about 10-12 patties depending on how big you make them.

Also, if you want to make these in muffin cups, that will work beautifully as well. It may be a good option if you want this to be a side-dish or cute "muffin" as a side with a BBQ dish or salad.

Remove from oven and let cool just a minute before serving. Or wait a while...:)

***If you want the outside of this pattie to be crispy when you eat, then put a TB of olive oil in a skillet and crisp each side for 2-3 minutes until crispy and to your liking***

The best ways to eat this pattie:

-wrapped in a GF wrap with veggies and your favorite dressing or sauce

-fit between two pieces of GF sandwich bread or bun with ketchup, lettuce and tomato

-as a side dish to a nice BBQ chicken meal

-placed on top of a spinach and veggie salad

- just eat on a plate with a fork :)

There are a few ways to enjoy this pattie, and additional veggies could be added to make a "veggie pattie" I am going to experiment more next time I make these and see what I come up with. But for now I am truly happy with this new combo with so much flavor and spice. It will have you asking for more... here is my lunch today, some leftover chicken bbq with a sweet potato quinoa pattie and a spinach salad on the side. Love this combo! And it left me full and satisfied.

I hope you find new ways to use your favorite ingredients... and in the meantime, why not try these! They will make so many that you will have some for leftovers, or to put in the freezer. Eating healthy doesn't have to be rocket science or expensive. This little recipe would cost you around 3 dollars to make and you end up with 12 patties, that is 40 cents per pattie... then add all the fixin's with it and viola you have a very inexpensive healthy and vegan meal. This post and recipe is linked up with The Nourishing Gourmet's 3/10/11 Pennywise Platter.

I hope you have a fabulous day!

Much love,

Stephanie

Pumpkin Pudding Bars (gluten-free, vegan)

You may be thinking this post is a few months too late because it is MARCH today, not November. But in all honestly, it is meant for today. I was doing a little spring cleaning in my fridge and freezer (yes, I clean my fridge and freezer :) I found some frozen pumpkin puree from last fall, and I knew I had to make something with it. You can't just let that pumpkin freeze till next November, there will be fresh laying around then. So, why not enjoy some pumpkin today. It is delicious! And, such a creamy dairy-free gluten-free dessert. I would even say that I prefer this treat over ice cream. I know, that's serious!

Yet, I understand your dilemma in trying this recipe.

You don't have any fresh pumpkins left, and do you want to wait till October to try this one?

Maybe you are like me and you still have that frozen pumpkin in your freezer just waiting to use it for something tasty. Perhaps this will make you go through the freezer space and see what you have in there anyways. Or, maybe you have pumpkin canned in your basement.

Then there is always the store bought option. Canned pumpkin from the store. Hm, good, but not always REAL good. So, that is understandably the dilemma at hand.

My dilemma was whether or not to share this fabulous recipe with you now or later. I was tempted to just save it for later...but then I took another bite of this pumpkin goodness, and thought, I had to share now. I justified the thought with thinking that you too have just cleaned out your freezer and noticed you have to use up some pumpkin puree as well. You have been waiting for this post for a few days now and now that it is here, it all makes sense.

Honestly, I don't think pumpkin has to be narrowed to a few months a year. If you like to freeze seasonal veggies like me then you can also enjoy these flavors more than just for holidays. Besides, as I am sitting planning my garden this week, buying seeds and plotting out the land (in my head), I think to myself, "Need to plant pumpkin!" This is a brilliant thought. Of course I need to plant some pumpkin! This recipe of creaminess divine...it must be repeated again. Perhaps this fall with my very own planted pumpkin.

Until then,

let's just

enjoy pumpkin even if it is March and spring is in 21 days.

Pumpkin Pudding Bar Recipe

Crust:

1 1/4 cup of brown rice flour

1/4 cup of buckwheat flour

1/4 cup of tapioca flour

1/2 cup of millet flour

1 ts. of sea salt

1/2 cup of warmed coconut oil 

2-3 TB of pure water

2 TB of pure maple syrup

Mix all of the dry ingredients together first, then add the wet ingredients and make a pie crust kinda crumble substance. Start with the 2 TB of water, and if it is still a tad too dry then add another TB. Mix with mixer, or hands until you get the pea-sized bits of dough. Then crumble across a 9x13 glass pan that has been greased with organic palm oil shortening or coconut oil. Spread the crust mix all over the bottom of the pan and then press down with your fingers and hands first, then press down with a large flat-bottomed spoon or 1 cup-er. It doesn't have to be pretty, the pumpkin will cover it soon. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20-22 minutes, until golden brown.

Pumpkin Pudding Mix:

3 cups of pureed fresh pumpkin (or thawed frozen pumpkin) (or canned works too)

3 cups of So Delicious Coconut Milk Beverage (or other non dairy milk, like hemp or almond)

1 ts. of pure vanilla

1/4 cup of melted coconut oil

1/2 cup of buckwheat flour

2 TB of tapioca flour

1/8 cup of chia seed meal (or flaxmeal is substitute)

1 cup of coconut palm sugar

1 TB of baking powder

1/2 ts. of sea salt

2 ts. of pumpkin pie spice, or cinnamon

1 ts. of ground ginger

1/2 ts. of ground nutmeg

In a blender or food processor, blend the pumpkin and coconut milk along with the coconut oil and vanilla, basically all of the wet ingredients. Then add the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Then mix the wet and dry together well with a spatula until it is smooth and creamy like pudding. This recipe could have an egg added, but then it would bake up more stiff and cake like too. I omitted the egg for personal reasons. Pour the batter on the COOLED crust from above. Smooth out the top of the batter so that it is even and pretty. Put in a preheated oven of 350 degrees for 1 hour. Bake until it is stiff and golden brown. It may still be gooey or pudding-like looking when you pull from oven, but the more you let it cool, the more it will stiffen. Also, I think this dish should be served COOL, so after cooling on the stove top, put in the fridge and cool for a few hours before you serve. Pudding should be cold, don't you think...so make sure it has cooled and stiffens up before serving. Then use a knife to cut your pieces and serve on up. It is much like pumpkin pie really, but this version has no egg and is a bit more creamy and that is why I have called this pudding bars. :)

Just look at that creamy goodness! Hmmm, so yummy! And, I always justify this dessert with lots of compliments because it is made with a vegetable, so lots of nutrients, fiber and good stuff for you! Enjoy with delight!

Hope you have a good start to your March, and clean up your freezer and find that frozen pumpkin puree you must eat before it's spring :)

Much love to you today!

Stephanie

p.s: Update on the $1000 dollar Institute of Integrative Nutrition Scholarship- both have been used by some lovely readers. They are about to start a very exciting journey learning about health, nutrition and counseling! Very happy and excited for them. If you are interested in the school I went to become a Holistic Health Counselor.... email me at stephanielaidlaw@gmail.com or check out my website...www.stephanielaidlaw.com. Contact me and then we can chat more about the program. And of course, I will let you know of any other scholarships or giveaways if I hear of them. Much Love!