Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Grain Free [Gluten Free] Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies









This is an awesome snack food! Lots of protein and a little bit of sweetness. I've left out the chocolate chips and let the kids eat as much as they want. They don't make me feel guilty at all!


Grain Free [Gluten Free] Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies


Ingredients:
1 cup natural peanut butter
4 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut flour*

Directions:
Mix together well, place by spoonfuls on grease (or parchment paper) baking sheet. Bake at 375˚ for 12-13 minutes.



*Get a FREE Book on Coconut Oil!
Tropical Traditions
When ordering for the first time, choose "referred by a  friend" and enter my user ID# 5691384, they will send you a FREE book.

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Raspberry Scones



  • These were just perfect! I have always loved raspberry scones and have been trying to achieve what I think a perfect raspberry scone was and I think I got it! You'll have to let me know what you think... The family loved them!

  • Raspberry Scones

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup organic sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup frozen raspberries


Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir and slowly drop in frozen berries until dough forms a ball. 
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, (making sure to press berries into dough) about 8 inches. Sprinkle with sugar. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 25** minutes at 400˚. 


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 25 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Grain Free [Gluten Free] Pancakes

Most of you know that I've been eating grain free now, since I learned that avoiding grains means avoiding migraines. *Happy Dance*
These are excellent, especially since they are packed with protein! I feel good about starting the kids day with something so good for them. The texture is of course different than a wheat pancake, but they are good!

Grain Free [Gluten Free] Pancakes
Ingredients:
6 eggs
1/2 cup almond flour
1/4  cup coconut flour*
1/4 cup melted coconut oil*
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions:
Mix well, in blender or with mixer (coconut flour tends to clump) and pour onto heated/oiled griddle. Cook each side 2-4 minutes.

The kids like to eat theirs with peanut butter and jelly on top. I prefer mine with a simple berry sauce.


*Get a FREE Book on Coconut Oil!
Tropical Traditions
When ordering for the first time, choose "referred by a  friend" and enter my user ID# 5691384, they will send you a FREE book.

This post is part of Traditional Tuesdays.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Blackberry Sage Scones




  • Blackberry Sage Scones

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup organic sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 cup frozen blackberries


Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir and slowly drop in frozen berries until dough forms a ball. 
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, (making sure to press berries into dough) about 8 inches. Sprinkle with sugar. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 25** minutes at 400˚. 


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 25 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Orange Scones



  • So, I have worked hard to be gluten-free and I am now relying on some "taste testers" for my scones... no one is complaining!

  • Orange Scones

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup organic sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • zest from 1/2 an organic orange
  • 2 tablespoons sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg, orange zest and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir until dough forms a ball. 
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, (making sure to press berries into dough) about 8 inches. Sprinkle with sugar. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 20** minutes at 400˚. 


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 20 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Migraines... CURED!

I have had headaches since I can remember. I found out early on that I could not change my hairstyle unless I washed my hair first. If my hair dried down and I tried to put it in a pony tail, the roots of my hair would hurt and give me a headache. I actually have never been able to have a ponytail! I could not where halter type clothes of any kind, it strained my neck and I would get a headache. I could not wear heavy necklaces or earrings, I could feel the weight and I would get a headache within minutes.
I have suffered from migraines for the last 6 years or so. I started getting migraines when I got pregnant. For the first couple miscarriages (before we figured out the problem) I only got the migraines while pregnant. Then I started getting them with every period. Then I got them 2 weeks out of every month! I was popping Excedrine every other day. Sometimes it worked, other times it didn't.
It helped if someone rubbed the pressure point on my hand, the meaty part between my thumb and index finger.
I learned that if I put ice on the back of my neck/head, heat over my eyes and lay down in a quiet dark room, most of the time they would be bearable by the next morning... with what I called a "hangover migraine". I was functional, just no sudden movements.

I was missing a lot of life.

I started a diet. Let me tell you how I decided on this, because it was not for me!
My son Stephen is sensitive to foods, last year we started drinking keifer, (which really helps alleviate their seasonal allergies!!) and Stephen went through a major detox. I gave the same amount to everyone and no one else was bothered. But poor Stephen was up all night with cramps, diarrhea and finally vomiting. And no, it was not a huge amount of keifer. I should have started him with an extremely small portion.
Anyway, since he is more sensitive, I finally decided to put him on GAPS. GAPS is supposed to cure allergies. He has a milk allergy and seasonal allergies. I figured we would try it- I couldn't let him "suffer" alone, so I went on it with him. I used Grain Free Meal Plans to help me, since it seemed a bit overwhelming. Cara's menus were a huge help and made it much easier!

GAPS:
Day 1: I tried the intro. I thought I was going to die. I had a horrible migraine. Brian threatened to not allow me to do GAPS. But I thought "I got a migraine going off the Standard American Diet (SAD), maybe, just maybe GAPS would help me too!" Finally after throwing up, I was able to sleep.
Day 2: I gave up on the GAPS intro (GAPS Intro Protocol) and went straight to a full GAPS diet. It wasn't as easy as I thought it would be. I ended up eating a lot of almonds and fruit. I was hungry all the time.
Day 3: WOW! What a boost of energy!! I cleaned house and felt amazing!! I noticed my head felt great too!

I started GAPS right after a period. Normally I have headaches/migraines the week of and the week following my period.
Over the next week I got used to eating only GAPS food. I didn't crave other foods. Thankfully Cara includes cookies in her menu plan, I made a bunch of them! Stephen and I were snacking like crazy. He loved it, simply because he got snacks all the time! That kid loves food. He did really well, taking meatballs and soup to school for lunch. He really doesn't care about "being cool" in the food department! He gladly took GAPS cookies, sugar snap peas, cut apples, fruit leather and Larabars to snack on.

We did GAPS for 5 weeks.
Things that I noticed on GAPS:


  • I was awake. Like the fog that I had been living in for the last 34 years of my life had suddenly lifted. I was alert. Mental clarity, I guess you would call it.
  • I was happy! My mood was wonderful the whole time! There was no if you talk, breath or look at me, I will kill you irritable mood before my period. I was perfectly content all 5 weeks- through one full cycle!
  • I started wearing my hair up. I wore a ponytail for the first time in my life! I put my hair up, I wore headbands, I did pigtails! 
  • I wore big earrings! I put in some that I had been wanting to wear for years, but could only handle them in for several seconds. I wore necklaces too. All this jewelry that I'd been collecting could actually be worn!
  • No stomach issues. No cramps, bloating, diarrhea, irregularity or gas.
  • I had tons of energy! I felt amazing and got a ton of things done.

I felt so great, I actually had people tell me I was glowing and ask if I was pregnant! 

Going off GAPS... I had a stomach ache for 3 days. So, I have no doubt that I need to heal my gut and it would actually cure me if followed GAPS for a year or two, but to be honest, I'm not sure I'm that committed. I was off GAPS for a week before trying gluten- 2 days later I had a horrible migraine, followed by a hangover headache followed by another horrible migraine.
(I couldn't wear my hair up and I had to take my earrings out. So, when I felt it coming on, I convinced Brian to go out to lunch, because the whole time on GAPS I was craving a Willow Creek Sandwich from Mackenzie River Pizza Company, and then I stopped gluten again.)
It took 3 full days off gluten to really feel better.

So, now I am eating mostly GAPS and grain free/gluten free (all the time). I am back to wearing my hair whichever way I choose and wearing whatever earrings I want. I still believe my gut needs to heal.
I have started reading The Maker's Diet The 40-day health experience that will change your life forever







Saturday, May 7, 2011

Triple Berry Scones





These are delicious! I love berry scones!




  • Triple Berry Scones

  • Ingredients:
  • 2 cup unbleached flour
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/3 cup organic sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup frozen triple berry mix (raspberry, marionberry and blueberry) divided

Directions:
The easiest way to do this is in a food processor*. 
Put dry ingredients in food processor, whir slightly to mix. Cut butter into chunks and put in the food processor and whir until mixed and crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and pour into food processor, whir until dough forms a ball. Add 1/2 cup triple berry mix, whir slightly. Remove lid and press remaining 1/2 cup berries into dough.
Place on greased (or parchment paper) baking sheet and press into a circle, (making sure to press berries into dough) about 8 inches. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 pieces (pie/triangles). Bake 25-30** minutes at 400˚. (Longer than the average scone- because of the moisture in the berries.)


*If you do not have a food processor, you can do this by hand. Cut the butter into chunks, add the dry ingredients (mixed slightly) and use a Pastry Blender or a Hand Mixer to mix until crumbly.
Beat egg and sour cream slightly and then add to butter/dry ingredients and mix in with a wooden spoon, or knead by hand. The warmer the dough gets, the stickier, so you could start with frozen/grated butter if you are going to use your hands.


**I do 30 minutes on my stone baking sheet, regular baking sheets will probably be a few minutes less.
Serve warm or completely cooled.

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