Flourless Chocolate Cake

THIS IS FANTASTIC! (and this recipe makes great cupcakes as well). I made this for a party and the children had no clue that they were eating beans! It was a fun surprise for them to know after they told me how great they were! He he, my grandmother was even surprised. My substitutes are in red.

Garbanzo Bean Cake
2 cans Garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 eggs
1 1/2 c sugar (zylotol)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 c chocolate chips (carob chips)

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

In a food processor add beans, eggs, sugar, and baking powder and process until smooth (3minutes or more,it must be very smooth)
Melt chocolate and process until mixed well
Grease a 9x13 pan
Put batter into prepared pan
Bake 30-35 minutes until the toothpick comes out clean
Cool

In-joy,
Dannielle

Food Co-op and a Recipe

I have recently joined a Food Co-op, Urban Acres. We are two orders in and I am loving it so far. This week our order contained all kinds of yummy in season, local and organic fruits and veggies.

Grapefruit
Oranges
Cantaloupe
Bananas
Lemons
Peaches ::Local::
Blackberries ::Local::
Vidalias (sweet onions) ::Local::
Yellow Squash ::Local::
Zucchinis ::Local::
Red Butter Lettuce ::Local:: (full shares only)
Green Beans ::Local::
Potatoes ::Local::
Green Leaf Lettuce

I also ordered some different local, organic, grass fed, lived a healthy happy life before it was killed meat, eggs and dairy.

I am really excited about this and I have found myself eating more and more veggies during the day but it has made my menu planning a little more difficult because I never know what my share of food will contain. So tonight I did a little creative cooking and came up with my own version of a lettuce wrap using all ingredients from our Urban Acres purchases.

Ground Buffalo Lettuce Wraps

*1 lb of ground Buffalo Meat

*1/2 of a vidalia onion

*1 clove of garlic

*1tsp Sesame Seed Oil

*1/4 cup of  Soy Sauce (gluten free)

* Tbs Rice Vinegar

*1tsp minced ginger

Brown the ground meat with onions and garlic.  Mix the other ingredients up in a small bowl.   After the meat and onions are browned add half of this sauce to the ground meat and cook on low for a few minutes.  

Serve in butter leaf lettuce leaves and top with Oriental Sesame Slaw  ( I changed this recipe a bit,  I used miracle whip and used less)

Graham Crackers

Graham Crackers!

Oh the smell of Preschool. I remember the smell of my preschool class: Graham Crackers, kool aid, and playdoh. All still give me that fun -n- happy feeling. I am so glad I ran across this post from the Celiac Teen. I can now give my little preschooler the same memory.

http://www.celiacteen.com/2010/01/my-daring-bakers-challenge-gluten-free.html

Celiac Teen is wise beyond her years, and it is really cool to see a teen with such a take charge and positive attitude. (I don't even know her and I am proud of her.)

While I didn't make the entire recipe (yet), I did try the Graham Crackers. I made a few adaptions to her recipe, but they still turned out perfect. Slightly chewy with a flavorful crunch. The little and big taste testers in our house asked for more...with milk.

Gluten-Free Graham Wafers-

(my adaptions will be in red)

Ingredients

1 cup (138 g) (4.9 ounces) Sweet rice flour (also known as glutinous rice flour)

3/4 cup (100 g) (3.5 ounces) Tapioca Starch/Flour

1/2 cup (65 g) (2.3 ounces) Sorghum Flour (Amaranth flour)

1 cup (200 g) (7.1 ounces) Dark Brown Sugar, Lightly packed(Brown sugar replacement-see post)

1 teaspoon (5 mL) Baking soda

3/4 teaspoon (4 mL ) Kosher Salt (Atlantic Sea salt)

7 tablespoons (100 g) (3 ½ ounces) Unsalted Butter (Cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen)

1/3 cup (80 mL) Honey, Mild-flavoured such as clover. (half honey half agave)

5 tablespoons (75 mL) Whole Milk

2 tablespoons (30 mL) Pure Vanilla Extract

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the flours, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pulse on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal. If making by hand, combine aforementioned dry ingredients with a whisk, then cut in butter until you have a coarse meal. No chunks of butter should be visible.

2. In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla. Add to the flour mixture until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.

3. Turn the dough onto a surface well-floured with sweet rice flour (saran wrap with no flour)and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1 inch thick. Wrap in plastic and chill until firm, about 2 hours, or overnight(freeze for an hour).

4. Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of sweet rice flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle, about 1/8 inch thick. 1/8-1/4" thick The dough will be quite sticky, so flour as necessary. i put the dough on parchment paper and laid a sheet of saran wrap over it. when you roll it out this way, it wont stick to anything and you don't need flour. I trimmed the edges to make one large rectangle then transfer the one rectangle including the parchment paper onto the cookie sheet. I also cut the smaller squares after they baked half way(see below in step 8)

Cut into 4 by 4 inch squares. Gather the scraps together and set aside. Place wafers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets. one large rectangle

Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Freeze for 10-15 minutes

Repeat with the second batch of dough.

5. Adjust the rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius).

6. Gather the scraps together into a ball, chill until firm, and re roll. Dust the surface with more sweet rice flour and roll out the dough to get a couple more wafers.

7. Prick the wafers with toothpick or fork, not all the way through, in two or more rows.(I did this half way through the baking time during the switch*below*-along with cutting the squares with a pizza cutter)

8. Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating sheets halfway through to ensure even baking. Might take much less time, and the starting location of each sheet may determine its required time. The ones that started on the bottom browned faster.

Snicker Doodle Cookies

These are FANTASTIC. I made them last night for the Bike-A-Thon at my daughters school. They were a HIT at snack time with all those adorable three year olds adorned in over sized helmets. OH! TOOOOO CUTE!

I just Love Love Love all these little people! It was crazy madness, but by the looks on their faces, it was worth the work. Thank you school - for putting this on to help St Jude Hospital.

OK, I know. I know. You are here for the recipe....well, now you know it is kid tested and approved, as well as School tested and approved. So here it is:

SNICKER DOODLES

3/4 C Zylotol (sugar or sugar replacement- I use Zylotol in all my baking)

1 egg (room temp)

10 TBS butter (room temp)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract(alcohol-free)

3/4 C sweet rice flour

1/4 C brown rice flour

1/2 C potato starch

1 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 tsp Atlantic Sea salt

1/2 tsp guar gum

_________________

3 Tbs Zylotol (or sugar)

2 tsp cinnamon

Combine dry ingredients: flour, starch, salt, tartar, gum. stir and set aside.

Cream together Zylotol and room temp butter until mixed well.

Add egg and vanilla. Beat on medium until mixed well and fluffy.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter/egg/zylotol mixture. Stir until mixed then blend on medium for several seconds.

In a separate bowl, combine the 3 Tbs zylotol and Cinnamon. Roll dough into balls (smaller than a ping pong or golf ball) roll them in the mixture and place them on a cookie sheet using parchment paper.

Bake at 340 degrees about 10-13 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

In-Joy!

Dannielle

Keep on - Keepin' on!

Well, I have to say, Kyla. I am so proud of you! You are so strong and willing. I admire your strength during this cloud in your life, and I am encouraged by your willingness to make adjustments and drive to "keep on - keepin' on". You are a blessing to have as my friend. I am fortunate to be able to share this journey with you, even though it is a journey neither of us would have chosen for ourselves or each other. Sometimes the best times are on the trips that aren't planned...I think we both know that from our many impromptu road travels. So, with that said...Keep it up MEAN GREEN KYLA JEAN! I am proud of you, I will be your cheerleader. or I will be your silent partner. Which ever you need me to be. I will. LOVE YOU!

In Joy,
Dannielle

Getting back on track

I know that PCOS and Insulin Resistance is the number 1 reason I have a hard time losing weight and getting pregnant. I have been doing allot of reading lately and recently came across this website that provided the below list of steps to getting control of your PCOS. Most of these points are not new to me but it was a good reminder and as someone who loves to make and stick to lists I think that this might be the answer to getting back on track with my health.

TEN TIPS TO KICKSTART YOUR PCOS DIET

1. Eat low Glycemic Index (GI) carbohydrates such as vegetables and whole grains. It is very important for women with PCOS to completely avoid refined carbohydrates including sugar, white flour, whole wheat flour and products made from them eg pasta, breads, desserts, pop, and candy)
2. Keep your blood sugar stable with a daily schedule of meals and snacks every three to five hours that includes some protein and good fats (for example some nuts/nut butter, seeds/seed butter, hardboiled egg, hummus dip). Protein foods take up to 5 hours to digest while carbohydrate foods digest within 30 minutes.
3. Eat at least five servings a day of vegetables including two of leafy greens
4. Have a daily serving of legumes like black beans or lentils.
5. Enjoy grass or pasture fed meat up to three times a week
6. Eat at least three daily servings of fruits like berries --which have a lower glycemic impact fruit as part of a meal or with a protein.
7. Limit or eliminate milk and dairy as these can aggravate internal dampness. If you do have dairy have only non homogenized full fat milk
8. Pay careful attention to portion sizes in order to moderate glucose load and minimize insulin resistance
9. Add one or two Tbsp of cinnamon on cereal each morning to help decrease insulin resistance.
10. Include prebiotic and probiotic foods which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Prebiotics are found in whole grains, onions, bananas, garlic, honey, leeks, artichokes and some fortified foods. Probiotic foods are found in fermented foods (sauerkraut, live culture yogurt, kim chi, miso).

I plan on using our blog to journal the changes that I making in my life to combat PCOS.

Sauerkraut

I have been reading allot lately about Fermented foods and they were number ten on my new PCOS list. So I decided to give it a try.

I googled allot of different recipes and then combined that with what I have read in the Body Ecology Diet and came up with a recipe /system that would work with what I had on hand.

I shredded half a head of organic cabbage and massaged in some sea salt. Then I layered the cabbage in a small mason jar smashing it down with a wooden spoon. I added a little water between each layer until my jar was full. Then I washed one of the outer cabbage leaves and used it to create a seal. I added water to a smaller jar and used that as the weight. I set the whole contraption in a bowl and covered it with a dishtowel. This was really easy and I am excited to see how this turns out.

Apple Strudel Bread

Apple Strudel Bread? Sugar Free? OH MY GOODNESS! I made this, and on my first try, it was a HIT~! A home run in my house!
It is several steps (four to be exact) and takes a little time but boy oh boy is it worth it! It even makes a little extra which are fantastic for muffins!
Here you go!

Step One:
Make your brown rice flour mix
BR FLOUR MIX:
2c brown rice flour
2/3 c arrowroot
1/3 c tapioca flour
seal in an airtight container. (I doubled mine to make pancakes with)

Step Two:
Make apple swirl yum yum
You will mix this into the loaf just before baking
in a sauce pan combine
2 tbs apple juice
2 finely chopped granny smith apples
dash of nutmeg
pinch of cinnamon
pinch of allspice
pinch of clove
pat of butter
and a few drops of stevia
Simmer on low until apples are soft (approx 20 minutes stirring often)
Cool slightly before folding into batter

Step Three
Make the strudel topping
1/2 C BR Flour Mix
1/3 C Brown Sugar Substitute-from previous post (or the real thing)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp guar gum
3 tablespoons melted salted butter
mix these together until all ingredients are moistened by the butter. break into small pieces. Set aside.

Step Four
Make Bread
Ingredients:
2c BR flour mix
2/3 C xylotol
1Tbs baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp guar gum
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C milk
1/2 c grape seed oil
2 Large eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Spray loaf pan with cooking spray
Combine dry ingredients: Mix flour, xylotol, baking powder, baking soda, guar gum, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large bowl
Combine wet ingredients: Combine milk and oil in a small bowl; remove 1 Tbs of liquid and discard it. Beat in eggs and vanilla
Add liquid mixture to flour mixture (wet ingredients into dry ingredients)

Fold apple swirl yum yum into the batter (from step Two)
Pour into loaf pan. no more than 2/3 full! IT WILL RISE (you can use the extra batter for muffins)
Top with Strudel topping (from step Three)
Bake 20-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean
remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.

IN-JOY!
Dannielle

SF Brown Sugar replacement!

I figured out a replacement for Brown Sugar!
1Cup Zylotol
1Tbs Dark raw Agave
blend well, and store in an airtight container

It works! I will post a recipe next that uses this new found gem.

Yummy GF Tortillapita!

I made these tortillas the other day, due to a huge craving for burritos. My daughter LOVES bean burritos, and I had left over black beans from a meal the previous night. I tried this and it worked! It really worked! We ended up making quesadillas, but, WOW were these tasty and light. They have the texture of pita bread, but no yeast, no wheat, no dairy, and no egg!

I am so excited to have this new recipe! I made a full batch that made 12 tortillas, and froze half of them. They have been just as good reheated!

I think I may try them a tad thicker next time, with a lower heat, for pizza crust! I guess I will let you know how that turns out.

For the Tortillapita:
combine:
1c rice flour/millet (you can use all of one, or half and half)
1/3c arrowroot
1/3c tapioca flour
1/3 c fava bean flour
2 tsp guar gum
1tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp zylotol (or sugar)
1 1/4 tsp sea salt

Cut in 2 Tbs organic vegetable shortening
Slowly mix in 3/4 - 1 c warm water (closer to 3/4)
Heat a skillet or griddle to med
Form 12 even balls
Roll or spread each into flats about 1/8 " thick
Place on griddle until the first side bubbles (3-5 minutes)
The second side doesn't take too much longer
Flip only once (they are chewy if you flip them more than once)

In-Joy!
Dannielle

Sweet Potato Oat(less) Meal

I DID IT! I came up with an oat less oatmeal, that is TASTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You must try this! You can mix it all the night before, and pop it in the oven in the morning. It is great for those mornings you know you will be running behind...


Puree one cooked and peeled sweet potato

Mix with one cup cooked brown rice

1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)

1 dropper of vanilla stevia (optional)

1 tbs coconut oil

1/8 tbs clove

1/4 tbs cinnamon

1/8 tbs nutmeg

divide into 4 -6 souffle cups

bake at 325 for 10-12 minutes

top with butter brushed chopped apples and a sprinkle of cinnamon

bake for additional 5 minutes or until the apples are browning.

In-Joy!
Dannielle

Bread

Bread-base recipe
I use this recipe for most of my bread recipes. I modified a few things from a recipe I found on http://www.elenaspantry.com/. I use this modified recipe to make Apple Coffee Cake-which turned out fantastic! I will post the recipe for that another day....

As for now, this base recipe can be used for everyday sandwich bread! It doesn't fall apart, and is light enough to feel like a real sandwich, yet, it is filling and does the trick with grilled cheeze sandwiches! When my three year old eats it, she always pulls up her shirt to show her cute little belly, and shows me how full her belly is....

Dry:
1 3/4 Cups Fine Almond Flour (blanched is best)
3/4 Aarowroot powder
1/8 Cup Flax Meal
1/2 tsp Celtic Sea Salt
1/2 tsp Baking Soda

Wet:
5 eggs (regular size or 4 Large eggs)
1 tsp Agave Nectar
1 tsp Organic Apple Cider Vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
1. Combine Dry ingredients
2. In a large bowl mix eggs until they are frothy but not too dry
3. Add Agave Nectar and AC Vinegar, blend again until mixed well- but not too much.
4. Combine Dry ingredients into Wet.
5. Mix well
6. Pour batter into a well greased 7.5 x 3.5 loaf pan
Bake for 32-37 minutes-until a toothpick comes out clean

I cover loosly with foil the last 3-5 minutes to keep the top from becoming too crunchy.
Cool before slicing

In-Joy!
Dannielle

Ready for Tomorrow!

As I write this I have two Mason jars full of tasty Green Smoothies chilling in my refrigerator. I took the base of my recipe from The Winter Green Smoothie recipe on The Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen site. I added some spinach, lemon juice and Truvia to mine and increased the apples because my pears aren't quite ripe. I have decided that I need to jump start my new year with an elimination diet and I plan on only having Green Smoothies for the first two days. My plan is to journal this adventure here so please be sure to check back often.

WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!!!

My dad's home made ice cream...ahhhhhh, I dream of his ice cream! As a kid I was allergic to dairy. I had apple juice as my milk replacement, so ice cream was WAY out of the picture for me. (Seriously, I put apple juice in my cereal!)
I remember, the smell of the salt and the sounds of the maker, as my dad would make the summer batch for my brother and sister to enjoy. [note: I would get to taste it...so I knew exactly what I was missing!]I would watch every pour he would make, dreaming of the day, I would be able to dive into a cold bowl of his freshly frozen homemade ice cream. My Dad's recipe is the best, it was his dads. It really is the best. Really! He has won countless contests. Of all the ice cream for me to dream of, I at least knew, the day I would be able to eat it, I would be eating the best. To this day-at 32 years, 11 months, and 21 days old, I have never had ice cream better than his. And I have had my share of ice cream!
In high school, I decided, I would begin to reintroduce dairy into my life, and what do you know, my allergy was mostly gone! MMMMM ICE CREAM!!!! My 19th birthday was at Baskin Robins! MMMMM ICE CREAM!!!!! I really still can not get enough of it. Seriously.

So, with my love of ice cream combined with this new "journey", I have set out to find a great ice cream that I can enjoy with my child- the way I so longed to enjoy it with my dad. It is one of many traditions I do want to pass on. This recipe is what I have come up with. It needs some tinkering, it is not quite up for the ice cream contest, but it is closer than anything store bought I have tried.

1 (14 oz) Can of Coconut milk (organic & full fat)
1 3/4 cups almond milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar (or agave)
1 TBS Vanilla (or anise)

Mix all ingredients in a bowl with a mixer. Cover and Chill for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Then pour cold mixture into ice cream machine and follow directions according to the manufacturer.

Any additions? -cookies, nuts, chocolate chips, pickles, whatever....add it about 5 minutes before the end of the freezing time.
Scoop and Serve with bibs....
TAAAAAAAAA-DAAAAAAAAAA! ICE CREAM!
In-Joy!
Dannielle

Energy Sustaining Breakfast Bar

OH! The cold! I have such a hard time rolling out of bed when its below 70 degrees outside...and this "Arctic Freeze" isn't helping! They are saying it will get into the TEENS! in Texas? urgh.
These energy bars have been a huge help getting me going these crisp mornings. Late one night, I happened to flip the DVR to this episode of Sara Snow....
I am so glad I did! This energy bar has been my fantastic morning friend. (These and my morning chat sessions with Kyla Jean over Yahoo....) I have a stash of them at work, in the refrigerator as well as a stash of them in the freezer at home. I have made a few changes to the original recipe, you will see them in pink. Both options are fantastic and quite the boost for a slow morning, or sluggish afternoon. I lay mine in a cookie pan flat, cool, then cut into bars. I wrap each in wax paper, for ease of the grab-n-go. (For me, the paddies looked a little too much like something you would find on the bottom of your boot after walking in a pasture...since I do that oh so often.)

Sara Snow :: Official website for Green Living Expert and TV Host Sara Snow:

"ENERGY SUSTAINING BREAKFAST BARS
This recipe was inspired from a diet recipe for breakfast bars. I took that recipe and turned it upside down, added fiber, protein, antioxidants and lots of healthy goodness. These are incredibly easy to make and keep on hand for grab-and-go mornings.
INGREDIENTS
2 ½ cups old fashioned organic quick oats (quionoa flakes)
½ cup whole flax seed
¼ cup organic dark cocoa power (or slightly less) (carob powder)
½ cup natural peanut butter (sunbutter)
½ cup honey (light agave nectar)
½ t spirulina
½ - 1 cup HOT water
INSTRUCTIONS
Stir ingredients together.
Form into individual sized paddies, like hamburgers.
Wrap in plastic wrap and keep in freezer or fridge."

In-Joy,
Dannielle