Honey Sweetened Marshmallows - Allergy-free

Each year my boys look forward to spending  time with their cousins and grandparents at Lake Gaston. This year is the first year for both boys to go at the same time.The weeks beforehand I  plan and prepare allergen-friendly meals for them to take along. The menu changes each year, but one thing for sure to be on the list is Smores. 

 
 In the early days, I special-ordered allergy-safe marshmallows, made gluten-free graham crackers and melted Enjoy Life Chocolate chips to make chocolate bars.

This year I decided to send my adapted version of Kelly's grain-free chocolate chip cookies instead of graham crackers and fill them with the new Enjoy Life Foods Mega Chunks in place of messy chocolate bars.  It was much easier for the boys to handle while sitting near the hot fire.

In the  past, when I made homemade marshmallows, I sweetened them with agave nectar, but they didn't hold up well in the fire.  This year I wanted to re-make them with honey.  We don't use agave nectar anymore.for health reasons. I did a little searching in hopes I would find someone who had already forged this path.  I was thrilled to find  that  Zoe of Z's Cup of Tea had successfully tested her marshmallow recipe with honey. The only change I needed to make was leave out the vanilla.  I would recommend using the candy thermometer to be sure you get the correct temperature. 

This week the real test came when my campers put these marshmallows in the fire.  I am hearing good reports that these turned brown with only a little bit of melting.  Overall a success!  

We think  these marshmallows are really delicious and not too sweet.  They were super easy to make with my KitchenAid Stand mixer, the wire whisk attachment and my favorite 10 year-old assistant.  We had SO much fun. They whipped up really fast! Much faster than my previous recipes. This is absolutely a kid-friendly recipe.  Your kids will love watching the liquid transform into these fluffy delicious mouthfuls just as mine did.

I believe that these homemade marshmallows will not be just an annual treat in the future. ;)

Thank you for a great recipe, Zoe!

The hands of my "Favorite Ten Year Old Assistant" with photo setup to make them just like Zoe's!

Click here to leave my site and see  Zoe's Honey Sweetened Marshmallows recipe.

Other related recipes to see on the web.

Liz of Eat the Cookie Before it Eats You -(Grain-free) Honey Graham Crackers  

Elizabeth Barbone of Serious Eats- Smores

Rebecca Reilly's Gluten-free Graham Crackers 

Brittany of Real Sustenance's Gingerbread Graham Crackers 

Easy Pie Crust Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Pie crust

1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour mix*
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 Tablespoon raw honey or Lakanto
4 Tablespoons Earth Balance Natural Margarine Soy-Free
6 Tablespoons Spectrum Natural Organic Palm Shortening
3 Tablespoons water (if the water is ice cold it is harder to press into the pie pan)

Place the gf flour mix, salt, xanthan gum and sweetener, Earth Balance Margarine and Spectrum Shortening in the food processor and pulse to mix. Add the water and process until it is mixed.

( It might be best to do the mixing in stages. First add the dry ingredients and pulse. Then add the Margarine and shortening and pulse. and then add the water and pulse again ) Since mine gives off an odor I have to send mine outside with the boys so I don't make them do all those steps.

Press with your hands into the pie pan that has been lightly greased with the shortening.

Use Egg wash over the pie crust once it has been pressed into the pan before filling. I used 1 egg YOLK mixed with about 1/2 Tablespoon of water and brushed on with my fingers and wiped up the excess with a paper towel. (My brush falls apart so I don't use it)

Baking time should be under 35-40 minutes for a 400 degree oven or the crust will begin to burn. Watch carefully. The agave nectar causes this to brown which I like. Perhaps using foil to cover the edges if you need to cook longer.

*My Gluten-Free Flour Mix (all are Bob's Red Mill)

1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup millet flour

We enjoy this crust with The Creamiest Pumpkin Pie Ever!

Mom...what can I have for breakfast?

I don't know if your family is like mine, but what I serve for breakfast is probably the most important decision I make that will determine how well my children feel throughout the day. They require good protein, so I like to make eggs, homemade sausage and my 14 year old loves to be independent and cook his own organic grass-fed hot dogs. They love breads, pancakes and french toast, but frankly these just are not sustaining unless they have a good amount of protein to go along with it. Many days, just as I would get the kitchen cleaned and sit down to begin our home school lessons, I would hear the words.."What can I eat?" Today was one of those mornings where my 9 year old son seemed to be a "bottomless pit". He ate a 2 egg omelet, soaked muesli with pecans, frozen cherries, and a Peanut Butter and Jelly Larabar for breakfast. I expect he is having a growth spurt!

Recently, I was searching for new ideas for a quick and healthy breakfast and found Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free Whole Grain Millet Grits/Meal. My kids had never eaten grits. Grits are such a Southern tradition. How could I let them miss out?

I loved them! I think they taste even better than the corn grits I knew and loved as a child. My oldest son was not as excited about them as my youngest, who really loved them. My husband got the leftovers and made "mmm" sounds as he ate them. My only regret is not ordering more bags, because now they are almost all gone!



Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Millet Grits/Meal (Certified Gluten-Free)

Follow the Cooking Instructions on the back of the package:

Bring 3 cups water and 1/2 teaspoon salt to a boil.
Add 1 cup of Gluten-Free Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Millet Grits and reduce heat.
Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Makes 4 servings.

or as I make them:
I make 2 servings, which is half the recipe, and mine were cooked in about 5-7 minutes. We add Earth Balance Soy-free Natural Margarine and 2-3 drops of SweetLeaf SteviaClear Liquid to sweeten each bowl and then top with pecans. Sometimes, I allow a little honey which adds more sweetness and my boys really like it.

So if you are like me, looking for new ideas for gluten-free breakfast, you might like to try the Bob's Red Mill Millet Grits.

What do you like for breakfast? I would love to hear your favorite ideas.

For more breakfast ideas visit The Gluten-Free Homemaker, who is hosting the blog carnival Breakfast ideas: What can I eat that's gluten-free?.

Sweet Dreams Come True

For many years I have had to eat sugar-free to regain my health. Most people think eating sugar-free means that they can eat cookies on special occasions and parties, but not for me. Almost four years ago, I learned the hard way after making sugar cookies for my son's party and I tasted just one sugar cookie. It made me very sick. I had not eaten sugar or many carbs for about 4 years before that. My doctor said it was like adding fuel to the fire.

There was a huge learning curve becoming sugar-free, gluten-free and dairy-free, but I kept persevering almost in some sort of conquest to conquer this mountain in my life. I began learning to bake with vegetable glycerine, since it did not feed yeast. Next came stevia which I had to conquer. I tossed out many failed recipes. Somehow I knew that there would come a day that we would find an answer to the sugar blues and thankfully my dream has now come true with the addition of The Body Ecology Diet's, Lakanto.

According to The Body Ecology site:

What Is Lakanto Made From?

The two natural ingredients in Lakanto are Non-GMO erythritol and the supersweet extract of the luo han guo fruit

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol naturally found in grapes, pears, mushrooms, soy sauce, cheese, wine and beer, so it and has been part of the human diet for thousands of years.

You may be familiar with other sugar alcohols like xylitol, sorbitol, and malitol used in sugar-free candies and chewing gum. But erythritol is different and much better than these other sugar alcohols because it is FERMENTED. Yes, it is made by fermenting the sugar in corn.

Many people have trouble with foods sweetened with sugar alcohols. Diarrhea and gas and bloating are frequent complaints. But Lakanto does not cause diarrhea, gas and bloating. We believe it may be because Lakanto is made by fermentation while the other sugar alcohols are made from hydrogenation.

The exotic and rare luo han guo fruit grows in the mountains of China. People there have used it for years as a sweetener and folk remedy for coughs, fevers, phlegm, and digestive distress. The extract of the luo han guo fruit is 300 times sweeter than sugar, with virtually no calories, and is one of the key "secrets" that makes Lakanto THE ideal natural sweetener!

I bought my first bag last year when it came out and I tried it with the recommended 1:1 ratio to replace sugar. I was disappointed and felt I had wasted my money, but then this Spring after baking with agave nectar and knowing it was not going to help yeast issues, I decided I had to try the Lakanto again. I am so glad that I did. Now I had many recipes that were made with agave nectar in small quantities, so why not try the Lakanto in the same quantities?

YES! It worked very well! I have spent the last several months testing this product in my kitchen and more importantly my body. I am so pleased to share this with my friends and will be posting some of my adapted recipes very soon. Sweet dreams do come true.

Cherry Coconut Ice Cream

A few days ago I learned a lesson about cooking bacon in the oven. Do not have the oven rack in the lowest position or you will overheat the pan and grease will splash all in the oven and create a smoke-filled kitchen. Hmm...now I know why I like low-fat turkey bacon.

Since my oven is a hard worker for me, and I had created this smoky mess and burned on food, it was time to give my oven some special care and give it a good cleaning. I opened up the windows and let the self-cleaning feature do its thing.

The house got very warm and we needed a cold treat to comfort us. This is the recipe we created to share with our special friends. The Cherry Coconut Ice Cream recipe was adapted from my "Frosty" that was posted in December. You will see pictures there of my Ice cream maker that makes this recipe very easy.


Cherry Coconut Ice Cream
Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, and Gluten-Free


3 cups organic coconut milk (low fat)
2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch
4 Tablespoons agave nectar
10 drops of liquid stevia
3/4 cup organic frozen cherries, chopped

Combine all ingredients, except the cherries, in a large mixing bowl. Use a wire whisk to mix the liquid ingredients.

Turn on the Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker and pour in the liquid ingredients (no cherries, yet). Leave running for 20 minutes. Turn off the machine and add the frozen cherries and turn back on for 5 minutes more. It is suggested to wait until the last 5 minutes before adding ingredients like cherries to protect the motor from overheating.

Lots of love and special blessings to you all.

This recipe is part of the blog carnival, What Can I Eat That's Gluten-Free, hosted by The Gluten-Free Homemaker.

A Gluten-Free Twinkie...and a Cherry on Top

Many times I have envisioned myself recreating favorite foods of my childhood to be healthy and gluten-free. When I saw a recipe for a healthy and gluten-free Twinkie created by a gluten-free master, Elana of Elana's Pantry , I decided that she should get the "Takes the Cake" award, if ever there was such award.

For concern that my kids would see me reading her blog with the mouth-watering Twinkie picture, I quickly closed the page. I began wondering how would they understand having to wait for me to order a Twinkie pan. Without a "Twinkie pan" or injectors to fill the twinkies in site, I decided to bake into cupcakes and top with a cherry sauce and coconut cream in hopes of filling my children (and husband) with delight.

It is unusual that I find a recipe that only needs a slight modification to fit my needs. In this case, I replaced the vanilla extract with fresh lemon juice and used canola oil just because I don't have the grapeseed oil as used by Elana.
This cake recipe is deliciously simple and light in texture, which doesn't usually go along as a description of healthy gluten-free delights. I believe this cake will be a favorite of my families' for many years to come. Thank you, Elana!

Gluten-Free Dairy-Free Twinkies
(reprinted with permission by Elana of Elana's Pantry)

3 eggs, separated
¼ cup grapeseed oil (I use canola oil)
¼ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (I use fresh lemon juice)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
6 tablespoons coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt

1. In a large bowl, whip egg whites to stiff peaks, then set aside
2. In a medium bowl, whip egg yolks until pale yellow, then whip in grapeseed oil and agave
3. Whip vanilla and lemon juice into egg yolk mixture
4. In a medium bowl combine coconut flour, baking soda and salt
5. Blend flour mixture into egg yolk mixture, then whip ingredients together until smooth
6. Gently fold egg whites into yolk-flour mixture
7. Spoon batter into Twinkie molds until they are half full (you will get 8 twinkies)
8. Bake at 350° for 11-12 minutes
9. Remove from oven and allow Twinkies to cool

For the complete recipe for making Twinkies, please visit Elana's site. I know you will enjoy her recipes and beautiful photos.

Now for my additions:

Cherry Sauce

approximately 1/2 of a 10-ounce bag of frozen organic cherries
1 Tablespoon arrowroot powder
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons raw honey
just a bit of water to make the sauce

Cook on low heat and stir until thickened.

Coconut Creme Topping
1 can of coconut milk, full fat, chilled in the refrigerator
agave nectar to your taste
When ready to serve remove the canned coconut milk from the refrigerator. With a spoon remove the fat or solid part of the coconut milk, leaving the liquid behind. Add honey to sweeten to your taste. Whip with a hand mixer until creamy.

Sending lots of love to all my readers. Enjoy!

Gluten, Dairy, Soy, & Sugar-Free Strawberry Shortcake

This recipe is very easy to make for a delicious dessert!

Refrigerate a can of coconut milk until well chilled. This must be full fat, not the light coconut milk.

Wash and cut up organic strawberries and drizzle with agave nectar and stir together. Put them in the refrigerator until they become juicy.

Bake Millet Drop Biscuits or Shortcakes.

When ready to serve remove the canned coconut milk from the refrigerator. With a spoon remove the fat or solid part of the coconut milk, leaving the liquid behind. Add agave nectar to sweeten to your taste. Whip with a hand mixer until creamy.

Enjoy!

Millet Drop Biscuits or Shortcakes

Millet Drop Biscuits or Shortcakes
Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Soy-free & Sugar-Free

3/4 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup Earth Balance Margarine, Soy-free, softened
2 tablespoons agave nectar
1 large egg
3/4 cup coconut milk, light
1 teaspoon organic raw apple cider vinegar

Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, beat the butter, agave, egg, coconut milk and vinegar.
Add the dry ingredients and beat on high about 30 seconds.
Scrape down the sides and mix well.

Using a serving spoon or a large cookie scoop coated with olive oil drop the biscuits onto a baking pan coated with olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees F about 12 minutes or until golden brown.

This is my third revision from a recipe that I found at The Gluten-Free Homemaker. The first revision was to make her recipe dairy-free and this time I adapted that recipe, Gluten and Dairy-Free Drop Biscuits by replacing sorghum flour with millet flour. Well, if that's confusing do not worry, because this is the most delicious biscuit ever! After picking strawberries at an organic farm we made these into Strawberry Shortcake with agave sweetened berries and coconut cream whipped topping. Absolutely delicious!

Gluten-free Granola Oat Bars Agave Sweetened

Yesterday I wrote about my oldest son's new food sensitivity to his favorite food- peanut butter and my experience with making my own pecan butter. I needed a substitute to replace peanut butter and almond butter to make the most of my time in the kitchen. Since I have a high reaction to almond butter and he reacts to peanut butter, I wanted a substitute that both of us could eat. Again, allergy-free cooking has brought me to a new food that I would never have discovered.

These gluten-free granola oat bars are great with this pecan butter and they have a delicious taste with lots of fiber and nutrients. Just so you know, they were sweet to my taste buds and probably the sweetest thing I've tasted in 7 years! I normally eat a very low glycemic diet and have enjoyed cooking and baking with agave nectar which is considered safe for diabetics and others requiring a low glycemic diet.

My goal, as in all of my cooking, is to make my recipes with the lowest amount of sweeteners. However in this recipe I found they would not hold together very well without lots of the agave nectar. In order not to waste all these ingredients, I opted to use a cup of agave. You can probably imagine how much my family really loved these.

If peanuts or other nuts are not a problem for you, I'm sure they would be easier to use in this recipe. Just open the jar...oh how I miss those days.

Gluten-free Granola Oat Bars Agave Sweetened

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded dry coconut, unsweetened
1 1/2 cups gluten-free oats
1 1/2 cups gluten-free raisins
2 cups organic sunflower seeds, raw
3/4 cup pecans or your favorite nuts
9 dates, chopped
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup agave nectar
1 cup pecan butter or other nut butter
1/4 cups Enjoy Life Chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Blend agave and pecan butter in a bowl. Mix with all other ingredients.
Line a jelly-roll pan with greased parchment paper.
Pat mixture firmly into pan with a greased spoon or your hands.
Bake at 275 degrees for about 50 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and pat down firmly again.
Let cool a bit.
Cut into squares.
Store in the refrigerator to keep cool. It also makes them crunchy which we liked.

This recipe was adapted from Cream Hill Estates Gluten-free Oats.

Justin's Homemade Roasted Pecan Butter

As long as I can remember the only food my son wanted to eat for lunch was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. After he was diagnosed with celiac disease and had to give up gluten and dairy, I indulged this food craving in order to keep him from feeling deprived.

Recently his IgG delayed food allergy testing revealed high reactions to this favorite food- peanut butter. It's never easy making changes in our diets, especially when you have to give up your most favorite food, but he did very well.

I began to search out other nut butters and found he likes almond butter and then decided it was time to learn to make our own with pecans. I was surprised how much he likes it. I find him in the kitchen eating this by the spoonfuls.

This recipe is great for peanut butter sensitive individuals that want an alternative to peanut butter.

Justin's Homemade Roasted Pecan Butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roast 2 cups pecan pieces on a cookie sheet for 3 minutes. Stir and continue to roast 3 minutes more.
Cool nuts then place in the food processor and grind . Add 2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and 2 teaspoons agave nectar and continue to process until you have a creamy nut butter.

What's For Dinner? Bar-B-Qued Turkey Meatballs with Pumpkin Sauce

My mother is a great cook and I strive to be just like her. Recently she shared a recipe with me that she and my daddy had really enjoyed eating gluten-free. Since I don't eat tomatoes, dairy or gluten, and red meat hardly ever, we talked about how I could adapt the recipe to fit all my dietary needs. I decided to make a pumpkin sauce, but if you eat tomatoes I have included that option for the lucky you.

I must confess that I usually shy away from recipes like this one, just because I'm kind of funny that I don't like the feel of raw meat all over my hands. Well, I must be growing out of this fetish, because I really like this recipe in spite of the handling of the raw meat. It really tastes delicious to me and I even find them good cold. Well, you might be thinking, how gross to eat these cold, but when I'm hungry and I need quick protein, these work for me. We like how the meatballs are very soft and tender with a bit of tangy flavor with the mild taste of the pumpkin. My boys like them and that makes a dinner that everyone can eat. Hurray!


Bar-B-Qued Turkey Meatballs with Pumpkin Sauce

Meatball Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds ground turkey thighs or ground meat of your choice
1/2 cup crushed gluten-free cornflakes
2 eggs, optional
1/2 cup coconut milk, light
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
7 drops stevia
1/2 cup pumpkin puree

Mix together and shape into balls. Place in a 9x15-inch baking dish.

Make pumpkin sauce with:

1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup organic raw apple cider vinegar
7 drops stevia
2 teaspoons agave nectar
water if needed to thin sauce

Or: make tomato sauce with:

1/2 cup ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar or agave nectar
2 tablespoons onions, chopped

Mix together in a bowl and spoon sauce over meatballs. Bake about 30-35 minutes or until done at 350 degrees.

For more gluten-free dinner recipes check out the "What's For Dinner? Gluten-free Style" Blog Carnival hosted by The Gluten-Free Homemaker. You will find some great gluten-free cooks sharing their great recipes.

Kid-Friendly Breakfast: Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast

At our house breakfast truly is the most important meal of the day. The food I choose for myself and my children will determine how we feel and function for the rest of the day. After the long night our bodies have been without food for 10-11 hours and we need to refuel with a healthy and nutritious meal, but quite often morning is the most difficult time of the day for my brain to focus. The challenge of mixing the many different flours required in most gluten-free recipes can be energy consuming and tedious for me in the early hours . This recipe is great, because it is simple and nutritious and my children really enjoy it, too.

Peanut Butter & Jelly French Toast

4 slices of gluten and dairy-free bread (our favorite is Anna's Bread)
1 extra large egg
a small squirt of agave nectar
organic peanut butter
organic fruit spread of your choice
Earth Balance Buttery Spread

Heat a frying pan on medium low heat. Start making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by spreading peanut butter and jelly on one side of a slice of bread and place another slice on top of it to make a sandwich. Repeat with the other two slices of bread. Slice each sandwich in half.

In a bowl with a flat bottom beat the egg and agave nectar with a fork or wire whisk until mixed together. Dip the sandwich halves into the egg and agave mixture and allow the excess to drain back into the bowl.

In the heated skillet melt Earth Balance Buttery Spread and place the sandwiches in the pan to brown on each side. Watch carefully, because the agave nectar will brown quickly. This makes a nice crust.

Serve topped with Earth Balance Buttery Spread and a drizzle of agave nectar or your favorite toppings.


Peanut Butter and Jelly French Toast

Peanut Butter Pecan Oatmeal Cookies

I find it fun to experiment with the tried and true gluten-free recipes that my family enjoys. I guess I really like the pursuit of the possible discovery of something even better. That is the case today with these oatmeal cookies that are free of gluten, dairy, and sugar, but not short on love. The inspiration came when I began making my oatmeal cookie recipe and realized I was out of large eggs. I decided that this would be a good time to create something new. I used the extra large eggs that I usually save for making Anna's Bread and then decided to add some peanut butter and pecans. The results were so great that I have already made two of this recipe in two days! They are healthy and not such a bad thing for my boys to grab first thing in the morning while they are waiting patiently for mom to wake up and make them breakfast. We always like to get Dad's opinion. The first night I made these, my husband came home from work greeted at the door by our son with one of these hot from the oven. He sat down in his comfy chair and tasted a cookie while we eagerly awaited his thoughts. He looked up and said, "These are really good!" We already knew it, but having his confirmation makes them blog worthy.If you like a soft cookie, almost cake-like, and are dreaming of a special treat without sugar I think you will like this cookie. We hope you enjoy them as much as we are.

Peanut Butter Pecan Oatmeal Cookies: Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free and Sugar-Free

Ingredients:

1 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
3/8 cup agave nectar
2 Tablespoons Now Foods Vegetable Glycerine
1/2 cup peanut butter, crunchy2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla flavoring (optional)1 1/2 cups Gluten-Free Bob's Red Mill All-Purpose Baking Flour1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
 2 cups Gluten-Free Bob's Red Mill Oats
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (optional)
1/4 to 1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips (optional, they have evaporated cane juice)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Beat butter, agave, vegetable glycerine and peanut butter together until smooth. Add the eggs and flavoring; beat well. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, allspice, nutmeg, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum. Stir flour mixture into wet ingredients. Add oats and pecans and mix well. Drop rounded dough onto parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Press down with hands. Bake for 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Debbie's Tips:

I like to use a cookie scoop that measures approximately 1/4 cup of dough and releases the dough with just a squeeze. This makes large cookies as shown in the picture. Be sure to press them down a bit.

You may like to add 1 teaspoon of vanilla or your favorite flavoring but our allergies don't allow them.

Of course the addition of chocolate chips would be delightful if you don't mind the evaporated cane juice.

If you like lots of oatmeal I think you could add more. That will be my next addition to try and maybe we could call this a breakfast cookie!

Vegetable glycerine is a great sweetener that does not feed yeast. 1 Tablespoon replaces 1/4 cup of sugar. In some recipes I find the flavor is even better when it has cooled, but I don't find that to be a problem in this recipe. So don't make your judgements with vegetable glycerine while the food is hot.

Be sure to buy oats that are certified gluten-free. If the oats are not certified gluten-free they will be contaminated with gluten. Uncertified oats are transported in trucks that also transport gluten grains. At best they are swept between loads, but this is not good enough if you have Celiac Disease. Also, it is recommended that those who are recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease should consult with their doctor before adding oats to their diet.

Make them with love and your children will be full of smiles and hugs. Who could resist?

Celestial Earth Balls

This past Christmas we had fun experimenting in the kitchen re-creating our cut-out sugar cookie recipe to be rice-free and sugar-free and Earth Balls with low sugar. These treats would get eaten so fast that I didn't think there would be anything left for Santa. My kids loved the cookies but I would like to work on them a little more.

Today, my son posted the recipe for these Celestial Earth Balls on his blog and we wanted to share them with you. They were his favorite and very easy to make.


Here is Justin's recipe for Celestial Earth Balls

The Ingredients for this marvel are:

1 Cup Peanut Butter (MaraNatha)
1/6 cup Agave Nectar
7 Drops Of Stevia
2 tsp Organic Cocoa powder
1/2 cup (Organic) Raisins
3/4 cup Unsweetened shredded coconut, Divided
1/2 cup Enjoy Life Chocolate chips
1/4 cup Of your favorite nut (I used Pecans :)

Preparation Instructions:

Be sure that your peanut butter is stirred before use. (Really!)
Mix the peanut butter, agave nectar, and cocoa powder until well combined.
Stir in the raisins and 2 tablespoons of the coconut. Stir in the chocolate chips (Yay! :)
And refrigerate for 1 - 2 Hours.

Place the remaining coconut and nuts into 3 separate bowls. Using a spoon, scoop small heaps of the peanut mixture from the bowl; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls. Rolling is easier if you form a rough ball, roll in the coconut, and then continue rolling into a more perfect shape. Roll each finished ball in more coconut, and chopped nuts. Arrange the balls on a plate, cover loosely with foil and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Recipe Adapted from Whole Foods.

Thanks to Whole Foods Market for the original recipe. We adapted them by replacing the honey with agave nectar and stevia and left out the sesame seeds because of my allergy. This is a fun kid-friendly recipe that is gluten and dairy-free.

Chocolate "Frosty"- Gluten, Dairy and Sugar-Free

I'm such a cold-natured girl to be eating this in the middle of December, but the boys were begging for "ice cream" after seeing my Daddy eating a Wendy's Frosty last weekend.

The Wendy's frosty is gluten-free, but not sugar-free, dairy-free or additive-free. Being a mother who does not want to disappoint her boys, I came up with this special recipe for my special boys.

I'm amazed at the taste of this. It is so much like the frosty that we had to share it with you. Even in December.


I use the Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt, Ice cream and Sorbet maker. It is so simple. The bowl stays in my freezer to be ready for these cravings at a moments notice.The machine does all the work and in 25 minutes it's ready to eat.

Chocolate "Frosty" - Gluten, Dairy and Sugar-Free

3 cups coconut milk (full fat)
2 Tablespoons arrowroot starch
1 Tablespoon 100% pure Vegetable Glycerine
3 Tablespoons agave nectar
7 drops of liquid stevia
1 1/2 Tablespoons raw, organic cocoa powder

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and mix well using a wire whisk.

Pour ingredients into a Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker. Turn on according to the directions on your ice cream maker and sit back and anxiously await your treat. Mine takes 25 minutes.

Sweet Potato Casserole- Gluten, Dairy & Sugar-Free

One of my families favorite recipe is my mother's sweet potato casserole. This past Thanksgiving I was determined to remake her recipe to be gluten-free without sugar. It was a challenge, because her recipe has a lot of flour and sugar. I tried and it just wasn't what I remembered. Since I didn't have more time to keep working on it , I gave up (at least for now).

This is the recipe that I created in it's place. I'm very pleased with the taste. My boys liked it so much that it was all eaten by bedtime on Thanksgiving. I'm sure they will ask for it again very soon, because it was wonderful. This was voted their favorite dish for Thanksgiving 2008!




Sweet Potato Casserole - Gluten, Dairy and Sugar-Free

2 pounds sweet potatoes ( 3 cups mashed) (I used 4 large)
1/6 cup agave nectar or honey
7 drops of stevia liquid
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 large eggs
4 tablespoons "butter," melted (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), or coconut oil
1/2 cup light coconut milk, or almond milk, or other non-dairy substitute

Topping:
3/4 cup pecans, chopped
2 Tablespoons agave nectar, or honey
4 Tablespoons "butter," melted (Earth Balance Buttery Sticks), or melted coconut oil
1/2 cups gluten-free flour (like Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour), or a combination of tapioca starch and coconut flour

Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes. Place the sweet potatoes, still in their jackets, in a large pot and cover them with water. Bring them to a boil and cover with a lid. Turn down the heat, but keep them on a low boil until they are tender.

Cool and remove the peel and mash with a potato masher. Stir in the agave nectar/honey, stevia, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, coconut or almond milk  and 4 tablespoons melted non-dairy "butter" and combine with the mashed sweet potatoes until well mixed. Pour into a greased 2-quart baking dish.

Combine the topping ingredients in a bowl and put on top of the sweet potato mixture.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-45 minutes until bubbly around the edges.

My updated grain-free recipe remake can be found here.

Gluten and Dairy-Free Drop Biscuits

(After many taste tests with these wonderful biscuits I have made a few revisions to make these just perfect! I have lowered the salt again and added the organic apple cider vinegar which makes them fluffier than before. Here is my revised recipe. Please let me know what you think.)
Love at first bite! Soft and warm biscuits with melting butter. What dream was I having?
No, it was not a dream. It was a "gift" shared by The Gluten-Free Homemaker, a fellow gluten-free blogger.
I knew when I saw her recipe that it would work for us with a few modifications to make it dairy-free and sugar-free. Last night I made these and they were delicious just like she said. The boys, my husband and I ate them and really thought they were excellent.

While standing in my kitchen measuring out the ingredients for these biscuits and reading the words, Homemaker, I began to reminisce back to 1985, when my husband and I were newlyweds. I was a North Carolina girl, moving to Maryland, so I had to get a Maryland driver's license. When I went to the DMV, I was assisted by a man who reminded me of Louis Gossett Jr. in the movie, An Officer and a Gentleman. With his erect posture and shiny bald head he spoke rather curtly to me and asked my "occupation." I hesitated to answer because I didn't have an occupation, or had even given it much thought as to what title I had. So I said I did not have one. He answered speaking every syllable drawn out with emphasis "Hooommmee-MA-Ker". I shyly agreed to his suggestion. I was feeling very intimidated and wondered if this was the way of the North. Well, I'm glad to see that there are still homemakers like Linda, the gluten-free homemaker, who live in Maryland!

Our Version Gluten and Dairy Free Drop Biscuits

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup arrowroot starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (revised to 1/8 teaspoon sea salt)

1/4 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, softened
1 squirt of agave nectar (about 1 teaspoon) (revised to 1 Tablespoon agave nectar)
1 large egg
3/4 cup coconut milk, Light (I used Whole Foods Brand) (See note*)
(1 teaspoon organic apple cider vinegar)

Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and set aside.
In the mixer bowl, beat the butter, agave, egg and coconut milk.
Add the dry ingredients and beat on high about 30 seconds.
Scrape down the sides and mix well.

Using a serving spoon coated with olive oil drop the biscuits onto a baking pan coated with olive oil.
Bake at 400 degrees F about 12 minutes or until golden brown.


*Note: I'm finding that the sodium content varies in different brands of coconut milk and greatly changes the taste of this recipe. Here are my test results:

1. The 365 Whole Food's brand, Organic Coconut Milk Light, contains 0 grams of sodium and works best for this recipe. I've made slight adjustments in blue above that make this recipe even better than my original post.

2. The 365 Whole Food's brand, Organic Coconut Milk, contains 35 grams per 1/4 cup, had a salty aftertaste that I did not like. I would advise against using this unless you are interested in making adjustments with the salt. Please let me know if you do.

Spiced Apple Apricot Muffins

I'm feeling like the heavens just opened up and dropped down some delightful muffins. Tonight I was getting ready to cook dinner, when a recipe from Karina's Kitchen landed in my inbox just in time to add to my dinner menu. I made many substitutions and surprisingly they worked very well. I liked that our boys could help with a few of the steps. They chopped nuts, greased the muffin pan, and whisked the flour.

Here is my version of Karina's Cinnamon Apple Muffins:

Spiced Apple Apricot Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Whisk together the dry ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of gluten-free flour mix (2 cups chickpea flour, 2/3 cup potato starch, 1/3 cup tapioca starch)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice

In a separate mixing bowl beat together:

1 cup natural apple apricot applesauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/8 cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vegetable glycerine
2 large eggs

Stir in:

1 1/2 cups chopped fresh Granny Smith Apples
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Spoon the batter into twelve muffin cups.
Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. About 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the muffins and cool on a wire rack. (If you have the will power)

Debbie's Delicious and Easy Hazelnut Fruit Cobbler

I like to make this simple cobbler with the leftover bags of frozen fruit that I find in my freezer. You see we have a fruit lover in our house and he has a daily ritual of frozen fruit, but usually it's mangoes, so I'm safe to steal the rest. Tonight after he tasted this cobbler, he said that it would be fine for me to use some of his mangoes next time.

This is the same topping I use on my "Apple Pie" but using frozen fruit takes much less time and energy than peeling, cutting, and chopping apples. I'm all for low energy output, but great taste these days.

Debbie's Delicious and Easy Hazelnut Fruit Cobbler - Gluten, Dairy and Sugar-Free

Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit

Filling:
2 cups of frozen organic fruit, thawed a bit (I like mostly blueberries, a few cherries, and a few peaches)
Pour into the bottom of a pie pan and set aside.

Topping:
1 cup Hazelnut meal (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup arrowroot flour
3/8 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Using a food processor, mix all topping ingredients together until it forms a ball. Then crumble on top of the fruit.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling and the top is brown. Watch carefully because the top will brown very well with the agave nectar.

Gluten-free Apple "Pie"

Apple pie has been a favorite for my family. Mostly because it was the only dessert that I could eat on a rare occasion. We felt like we weren't missing out when there was pie around. I couldn't eat sugar, but Granny Smith apples were okay for a special occasion. In the early days, I used vegetable glycerin in my pies. This is the first one I have made with agave nectar and it was like a normal apple pie with that gel-like stuff that sugary pies have. This will be great to serve family and friends that might not be used to the no-sugar diet that we eat.

Gluten-Free Apple "Pie"

Topping:
1 cup Hazelnut meal (Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup arrowroot flour
3/8 cup Earth Balance Buttery Sticks
1/8 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Using a food processor, mix all ingredients together and set aside.


Pie Filling:
3 very large Granny Smith Apples, peeled, cored and cut into chunks
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
1 tablespoon agave nectar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
sprinkle allspice

In a bowl mix hazelnut meal, arrowroot, agave nectar, and lemon juice with the apples. Place apple mixture in the pie pan. Sprinkle with allspice. Crumble topping over the apples. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until the apples are soft and the topping is brown. During baking watch the topping for uneven browning and turn if necessary.