Honey Sriracha Madness

So this Honey Sriracha Madness is Marie's fault entirely. You see, Marie, Marc and Aiden were running in the grocery store as Joe and I were running to our car a few weeks ago. 

Marie mentioned she was making Honey Sriracha Chicken for dinner that night and I was intrigued. A quick check of Pinterest later that night gave lots of variations. All super simple and I never did go back to look at a recipe.

And since it's been way too long since Aiden has made an appearance on the blog I am sharing this photo our amazing Gabby took at his dedication last month. It's hard to believe he's going to be one in just under a month!

But back to food. So why am I giving you three? Because it was a great excuse to put up a pic of Aiden and because it's really good! I love to play around with a good recipe and make it my own varying ingredients to my family's tastes. You can adjust the honey and Sriracha to your taste to make it sweeter or milder or scorching hot! 

For the Honey Sriracha Chicken Bowls, I just let one and a half pounds cubed chicken simmer in a tablespoon of coconut oil. As the cubes were barely cooked through I added about 1/4 cup honey, about a tablespoon Sriracha and a dash of lime juice and garlic and simmered until the sauce was thick and caramelized but not dry.

Stop when you like the consistency - really saucy to drizzle over the rice - simmer a little less time. Super caramelized, go a little longer.

It was amazing over a bowl of steaming rice with some fresh herbs sprinkled on top. We used mint, cilantro and basil for a Thai-inspired flavor.

Our favorite vegetarian version is this delicious Honey Sriracha Mushroom Sauté.

It's super simple. Clean and quarter a pound of mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms in a medium skillet in one heaping tablespoon of honey and one heaping teaspoon of Sriracha. No oil is necessary. Leave the lid off and stir everything together. The mushrooms will release their juices and the sauce with start to thicken after a few minutes. We love this served over rice (fried rice in this pic) and with kimchee.








Honey Sriracha Beef Lettuce Wraps have to be the easiest lettuce wraps you can make and are amazingly flavorful. To make these simply brown one pound of organic, grass fed ground beef with about a half cup of minced onions. Stir in the same heaping tablespoon of honey and heaping teaspoon of Sriracha and sauté until the sauce is thickened.

I topped lettuce leaves with julienned red peppers and spiralized cucumber and added the beef and cilantro. Chris loved these even though our lettuce didn't "wrap" this time. 

Relax in the kitchen and be creative - it makes eating healthy much more fun.

Happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Laura's Chocolate Mousse - Gluten Free and Vegan

Topped with fresh blackberries from my brother and sister in law's garden. Yum!

Another Ode to Laura, this recipe is one she made when she came to visit Marie right after Aiden was born last summer. Sorry it's such a fuzzy shot but I love this one. Aiden was just a tiny peanut here. Laura shared her recipe in this post.  

There are so many recipes I haven't taken the time to blog lately. Life has been busier than it used to be and I've been sharing the computer and desk with my hubby so getting to it isn't always working out. This is one treat that has been a draft for nearly a year so it's time to make it blog official.

I've made it well more than a dozen times since Laura served this but was surprised to find I had actually made it and posted it earlier that year! 

My nephew told me it was already there when I mentioned I had to get it on my blog so he could find it. Oh my gosh, I'm getting old and losing my mind already. 

Check out the filling for my yummy but not so pretty Creamy Chocolate Filled Coconut Whoopie Pies! 

This is such a great recipe, naturally gluten free and vegan. It takes five minutes to put together, is a great make ahead dessert and everyone loves it. The recipe below is a small tweak from Laura's and from my filling.

Don't you love the way Laura packed them up to serve? I usually use smaller mason jars because I tend to serve these as part of a dessert table.

Because they are rich and creamy, a small serving is satisfying but because it isn't heavy or overly sweet a large serving is perfect, too.

 Laura's Chocolate Mousse - Gluten Free and Vegan

1 Can Full Fat Coconut Milk

1/2 cup (8) Organic Medjool Dates, roughly chopped

1/3 Cup Cocoa or Cacoa Powder

1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Powder

Combine all ingredients in a high speed blender (I use my Vitamix) or food processor until creamy and well mixed. There will be flecks of dates in the chocolate cream if you use a food processor. 

I like to fill tiny glasses with the mouse, chill and top with raspberries just like Laura when serving.

Enjoy!

This recipe has been happily shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Luna's Living Kitchen Gluten Free, Vegan and Amazing!

So many friends had been raving about Luna's Living Kitchen and posting mouth-watering photos on Instagram and Facebook lately so I've been anxious to try it. It's a two and a half hour drive from us so we used a trek to IKEA as an excuse for a visit a few days ago. We are not vegan but we do eat many vegan and vegetarian meals weekly so we looked forward to checking Luna's out.

The restaurant exterior is warm and inviting. There are large planter boxes outside and most of them were full of greens. The tall ceilings, huge windows, spare decor and art make for a cozy yet bright interior. Every single employee greeted us with a smile from the moment we walked in. We sat at the juice bar because all the tables were full.

Jonathon was our gracious server and was happy to tell me which items were gluten free. There was a much better than usual selection to choose from. We ordered an organic juice for each of us. Chris chose the Volcano, a citrus blend with a touch of maple syrup and cayenne. I have an aversion to the smell of maple syrup but when I tasted it I fell in love. I ordered the Zinger which was beet, apple, orange, lemon and ginger. The ginger actually gave it more heat than Chris' Volcano. The sweet and hot combination was delicious. Luna's juices are available at our local Whole Foods, too. Pricey, but a healthy splurge.

One of our friend Josh's recommendation was the Rawco Taco Salad so I was glad it was gluten free. That was my order. How gorgeous is that salad?

Underneath the cilantro and sprouts was a large scoop of crumbled walnuts and almonds. The nuts gave it a crunchy, satisfying feel without feeling heavy. The cashew sour cream and hot sauce combination was a perfect touch - so flavorful! The hot sauce had quite a kick without being too much heat. Cool slices of avocado and crispy veggie/flax crackers made a perfect meal.

It's the kind of salad I could eat every day of the week if only someone would deliver it!

Chris ordered the Living Burrito. It was a collard leaf wrapped around sunflower seed refried beans, cauliflower rice, veggies and the same cashew sour cream and pico de gallo that were on my salad. He inhaled it shortly after I took this photo. 

He loves all things cauliflower so he especially enjoyed the cauliflower rice. Chris loved the combination of flavors and textures and found it to be a hearty lunch (he likes big food!) and also commented that he didn't feel weighed down by this large meal.

I'm going to have to get on Pinterest soon and look up some cauliflower rice and cashew sour cream recipes.

This meal makes me want to up my game when it comes to our vegetarian and vegan meals and make them more creative. Summer is a great time to take advantage of wonderful produce.

Josh had also recommended the Lemon Berry Cheesecake and we shared a beautiful slice while Chris had a coffee. 

Hands down the best cheesecake I've ever tasted and again totally vegan. Just the right amount of crunchy nut crust, plain and fruit flavored layers and perfect to share.

We both loved every part of our meal and our experience at Luna's Living Kitchen. While it is quite a drive I know we'll be back - maybe not as often as I'd like - but I can't wait.

This post has been shared on Gluten Free Wednesdays - thanks Shirley!

March Muffin Madness With Gluten Free Easily!

I am so excited to be a part of Shirley Braden's March Muffin Madness over at her amazing site: Gluten Free Easily.

Every day this month Shirley has been featuring a different muffin recipe from various gluten free bloggers. It's been so fun to check out each recipe - they are all so different and they all look delicious. Check them all out and be sure to comment on her posts as she has some amazing prizes lined up!

And spend some time on Gluten Free Easily. I've told many friends that I wish I'd known of it when we first went gluten free. Not only does Shirley have dozens of her own wonderful recipes, she features lots of other bloggers on GFE Facebook page and her all dessert site: All Gluten-Free Desserts All the Time!

Shirley will be featuring one of my very favorite, high protein muffins, my Sneaky Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins.  My family cannot taste the sneaky ingredient and I love that they're getting extra nutrition.

Now, go! Check out March Muffin Madness and all the wonderful muffin recipes! Enjoy!

Praline Blondies - Gluten Free & Grain Free

Last night Marc, Marie and sweet Aiden came for dinner and I wanted to make something a little different for dessert. My Praline Buttercream sounded really good, but I didn't have a lot of time to bake and ice a cake or cupcakes. Instead I made the ingredients for Praline Buttercream the basis of a pan of quick and easy blondies.

Creaming together the butter, coconut sugar and vanilla powder I simply added a cup of Moon Rabbit Foods Cassava Flour, eggs and a dash of salt, then some chopped pecans and mini chocolate chips for good measure were stirred in. Super simple to whip up, quick to bake and so delicious.

The combination of coconut sugar and butter gives these blondies that amazing praline flavor so easily. Cassava flour provides a mild flavor and wonderful texture. No gluten free gums are necessary at all. The bars cut beautifully even when warm. Gluten free doesn't have to be hard and you don't need a bunch of different flours.

Praline Blondies
Preheat oven to 400 degrees and have a 9x13 pan ready (no greasing necessary)

Cream together

1 cup            Butter (I use Kerrygold)
1 3/4 cup      Coconut Sugar
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Powder

When well mixed, add:

1 cup           Cassava Flour (I use Moon Rabbit Foods)
3 large          Eggs
1/2 cup         Raw Pecans, chopped
1 cup            Mini Chocolate Chips
pinch            Sea Salt

Spread into 9x13 pan. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool and enjoy!

Praline Buttercream & Chocolate Cashew Cake

Praline Buttercream may be my favorite way to top a cake ever - even if it isn't chocolate. A couple of months ago I experimented with with a basic buttercream recipe. (On that day it crowned the Moon Rabbit Foods chocolate cupcakes). I had wanted to use coconut sugar which has a really rich, wonderful flavor. I decided to whirl it in the food processor until it was almost as fine as powdered sugar, but with a little bit of texture left for a bit of a praline crunch. Beating the ground coconut sugar with yummy Kerrygold butter and a bit of ground vanilla powder made the most amazing flavor and texture. While not exactly health food, both the coconut sugar and Kerrygold have lots of benefits.

Marc, Mom, Aiden, Dad & Marie.

Yesterday I made Praline Buttercream again with a quick from-scratch cake for an early birthday celebration for Marc. 

Marc's cake was made from cashew meal, honey, eggs and cocoa - so good and so easy in the Vitamix. 

I think it would have been just as delicious if I'd used a stand mixer but using the Vitamix made the cashew meal very smooth and gave the cake a light texture. Again, the cake wasn't exactly health food but it was full of protein to balance the sugar.

Praline Buttercream & Chocolate Cashew Cake

For the Buttercream:

2 cups         Organic Coconut Sugar

1 cup           Kerrygold Butter, softened

1 teaspoon   Ground Vanilla Bean Powder

In a food processor whirl coconut sugar until almost powdery. You'll probably have a little sugar dust escape through the vent and it should look something like mine does here. You will notice it will get a shade or two lighter.

Transfer sugar to mixing bowl and beat with butter and vanilla powder. I have used both the whisk and paddle attachments in my stand mixer and both worked well. I would assume a hand mixer would work just as well. Beat until creamy and set aside until the cake has cooled.

For the Cake:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and butter the bottom of a 13 x 9 pan.

Place the following ingredients into Vitamix in order. 

4                Eggs

1 lb.           Cashew Meal

1 cup         Honey

1/2 cup      Cocoa

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 teaspoon Baking Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Using the tamper through the lid, turn the Vitamix on low and scrape the ingredients down toward the blades so that everything is thoroughly mixed. Adjust the Vitamix to high while continuing to use the tamper for about a minute. 

Using a spatula pour cake mix into pan and spread evenly. 

Bake for 30 minutes or until just set. Center will be springy to touch.

Cool and spread Praline Buttercream over the cake, then serve to the people you love.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

My awesome friend Laura recently gave me a head's up that Trader Joe's is carrying now carrying bags of Cashew Meal. She knows I use TJ's almond meal in so many of my breads, muffins and cakes as it's a high protein, gluten free and grain free flour. Baking treats with more protein seems to help us to metabolize them better without nasty sugar highs and lows. However, a lot of my Feingold friends cannot use almonds as they are a higher salicylate food.

(Speaking of Feingold friends, Candy has an interview with Cindy Harrell who, among other things puts the Feingold Food List together. Check it out for a great, quick overview of the program which we joined in 2005. We found Joe's migraines were triggered by food dyes and by following Feingold we've relieved a host of other issues.)

Other nuts can be used very successfully in baking. You can grind your own nuts and I've done that making the delicious Leah's Pecan Paleo Bread and my own Pecan Pie Muffins! Purchasing specialty nut flours online is easy but they're pricey and waiting for delivery isn't always convenient. Trader Joe's charges $4.99 a pound now - that's less than half what my online source charges.

Cashews are a wonderful choice because their mild taste won't overpower other ingredients and TJ's cashew meal has a really fine texture and bakes to a nice consistency. Coconut sugar gives a nice brown sugar flavor and has many nutritional benefits. I've made these with coconut oil and with butter and both were very well received. The butter made for a slightly softer bar than the coconut oil version. I've used flax meal rather than eggs and if you use coconut oil you'll have yummy gluten free, casein free, grain free and vegan bars. The best part is they come together in about five minutes.

Gluten Free Cashew Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a 13 x 9 pan.

1 lb.   Cashew Meal
1 cup Coconut Sugar
6 T.   Golden Flax Meal
1 cup Water
3 T.    Coconut Oil or Butter, softened
1 T.    Gluten Free Vanilla
1 t.     Baking Soda
dash   Salt
1 cup  Mini Chocolate Chips - I use Enjoy Life

Mix together everything but the chocolate chips. The batter will seem very wet until the water is absorbed by the flax meal. When well combined mix in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan and bake for approximately 30 - 40 minutes or until set in the middle and as golden brown as you like. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread!

It's good to be a ChaCha for so many reasons. I loved the name the very moment my Ev gave it to me three years ago and I adore that his sweet and sassy little sister yells "my ChaCha" and comes running when I pick her up from camp. Ev will tell you it is a very good name and he's excited (and just a little proud) that our soon to be grandbaby Aiden will be calling me ChaCha when he's old enough.

Being ChaCha has it's perks, too!  When Ev and Ollie went blueberry picking at Herndon Hills Farms last week, Gabby gave me a huge bag of the most gorgeous, freshest blueberries I've seen in a long time. While I haven't been to Herndon Hills Farms, Gabby vetted the farm and they use only natural materials approved by the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) and are working towards organic certification. Gabby's photos show how beautiful the farm is, too. Lucky for me, Evan and Ollie can pick a lot more berries than they can eat! Can you see that Ollie can hardly hold up her own bucket!?!

I wanted to make some gluten free coconut flour muffins, similar to these but with a splash of lime juice and chock full of blueberries. Since I had just washed the loaf pan and it was still on the counter, I used it instead of the muffin pan and liners, although this recipe should make twelve muffins easily.

And please take a moment to read Pam's blog at I'm A Celiac on the Gluten Free and Allergen Free Wellness Event next month in Durham! It's a wonderful blog to sit and explore when you have some time. In this post, Pam's got lots of information and some really helpful tips for first time visitors. It would be wonderful to see lots of friends there!

Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin Bread

Heat oven to 400 degrees

This lemon "glaze"? Will tell more soon!

Grease a Pyrex loaf pan with Coconut Oil 

1/2 cup Coconut Flour

1/4 teaspoon Sea Salt

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

6 Eggs

1/2 cup Coconut Milk, canned

1/3 cup Sugar

1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in bowl of Kitchenaid mixer on low speed to combine.  Increase speed to medium high for two minutes or until smooth. 

Gently mix in.

1 Cup Fresh Blueberries 

Pour into greased pan and bake for approximately 50 minutes until golden brown. You can use a toothpick to test the center, but you'll know it's ready when you gently press on the center of the loaf and it feels firm.

Enjoy!

GF Raw Macaroons & Tea With Pattie

Pattie was coming by for a quick cup of tea in the garden this morning and I wanted to make something quick but special. It also needed to be light and healthy. I remembered some amazing raw macaroons my friend Laura had made a while back and decided to try to recreate them. Since my guys are gone on a road trip I purposefully made a small batch so that I wouldn't have too many left over to gorge on. These may not be exactly like Laura's but we really enjoyed them. The almond extract is a stage 2 Feingold ingredient but you can skip it and they will be delicious. Not only are these treats gluten free but they are also casein free and vegan. Perfect for so many of our friends' diets these day.

If you have everything on hand you can be eating them in minutes. Store them in the fridge and they will melt in your mouth.

I've just shared them over at Gluten Free Cat's Raw Thursdays! Gluten Free Cat is one of my favorite gluten free blogs and one of my Link Loves.

Raw Macaroons

Make 8 but can easily be doubled or tripled.

1 1/2 Cups Shredded Coconut

3 Organic Medjool Dates (if not very moist, soak in water for a few minutes)

3 Tablespoons Coconut Cream Concentrate, Coconut Butter or Coconut Manna depending on brand

1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil

1 Teaspoon GF Vanilla Extract

1 Teaspoon GF Almond Extract

In a food processor combine all ingredients, except the shredded coconut and mix until the dates are completely pureed. Add coconut and process just long enough to mix. You want a bit of texture.

Scoop into one tablespoon balls either rolling by hand or using the tablespoon to shape.

Store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Aunt Leora's Coconut Pie!

Leora was an amazing lady. She was one of my dad's two younger sisters and mom to six of my cousins. She was my godmother and I loved her dearly. Leora was named after my Grandmother Leora and in all these years I've only met one other woman with the same name. One fun fact about my dad's sisters is that Leora and her sister Pat both married men who shared the same first and middle names with my dad. Leora shared a birthday with my brother Bobby and since it's coming up next week she's been on my mind.

Aunt Leora, Uncle Tom, Grandma Lee, Dad & Aunt Pat

About thirty years ago a friend and I put together a cookbook full of recipes from our families and friends. I love looking through it all these years later - we all eat so differently now. When I pulled it out recently and looked for her recipes I came across this Coconut Pie. I can't recall ever seeing this on the table all those years ago but coconut wasn't one of my favorites back then and I might have not noticed.

The original recipe called for milk, butter and regular flour. I believe the coconut Leora would have used would have been sweetened flakes but I used unsweetened. I knew a touch of coconut flour would sub for the regular flour easily and decided to ditch the dairy and use coconut milk and coconut oil.

I can see why this recipe appealed to Leora, as busy as she was, because it is as delicious as it is easy. Leora's pie didn't call for a garnish but since I had coconut flakes and mini chocolate chips nearby I sprinkled some on just because. My pie took much longer to bake than Leora's recipe - no doubt due to the subs.

Version 1.0 - the breakfast edition.

We had the same friends for dinner twice this week and we shared version 1.0 and 2.0 with them. I have to say the presentation of 1.0 wasn't very special looking. The soft custard was still warm and the slices were really more like spoonfuls. A yummy crust had formed on the top due to the coconut and chocolate chips I'd added. It was much like a creme brule topping. We all really loved the texture and the taste. I chilled what was leftover and "tested" it for breakfast. Amazing but still soft for pie.

Version 2.0 made us all happy. It plated up much better. The texture was better and the taste was a exactly the same. This time only one slice remained and it, too, was delicious the next day. I can't really decide whether I prefer it served warm or cold - both are yummy and completely addictive.

This is definitely going in the dessert rotation. It is sweeter than I am used to so I'll probably cut the sugar next time I bake it. It would be an easy, wonderful treat to make for Easter.

Leora's Coconut Pie
Grease pie plate with coconut oil, preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Add all ingredients below in blender container:

1 can Light Coconut Milk, I used Trader Joe's
4 large Eggs
1 cup Coconut, unsweetened shredded
1 cup organic cane sugar
1/4 cup Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Coconut Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Dash of salt

Blend until well combined. Pour into prepared pan and garnish, if desired, with additional coconut and mini chocolate chips. I used Enjoy Life which are dairy free.

Bake for approximately one hour. Insert a sharp knife in the center, if it comes out clean the pie is done. Cool or chill before serving.

Enjoy!

Pi Day - Creamy Chocolate Filled Coconut Whoopie Pies

I love Pi Day - although Joe appreciates the math side of this "holiday" I much prefer the baking side. These whoopie pies are similar to last Pi Day's recipe in that they are coconut flour based. The cake is vanilla with shredded coconut and the filling is a delicious light and creamy chocolate sweetened with dates. 

Yes, I am very aware that my whoopie pies look much more like hamburgers than dainty, delicious desserts. They admittedly could have been a little thinner but no one complained.

This filling is amazing. It's a total knock off of a delicious chocolate mousse from Vegan-Magic that's been floating around Pinterest. Vegan-Magic is a new site to me and I've been enjoying looking at all of the wonderful recipes Adriana has posted. Please check it out.

Creamy Chocolate Filled Coconut Whoopie Pies

Preheat oven to 375 degrees - grease pan with coconut oil.

Made seven for me but next time I'd probably aim for eight.

The Cakes:

1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted & cooled a bit
2/3 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat on low until well combined. Turn mixer to medium and give it at least three or four minutes.  

I filled fourteen wells on my pans, you might aim for sixteen for a less hamburger appearance.  Bake about 15 - 20 minutes until they are set in the center. Cool a few minutes before removing from pan and cooling on a rack or plate.

While your cakes are baking make the filling:

Creamy Chocolate Filling:

1 cup Coconut Cream (See Note)

1/2 cup (8) Organic Medjool Dates, roughly chopped

3 Tablespoons Cocoa

1 Tablespoon Vanilla

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until creamy and well mixed. There will be flecks of dates in the chocolate cream. That's deliciously okay. There will be plenty to fill the pies even if you make an extra one or two.

Note: The coconut cream I used today was from canned, full fat coconut milk. Refrigerate the can overnight and use the hardened, white layer on top. Reserve remaining coconut milk in a glass or plastic container, covered, in your fridge.

Divide filling and spread over half of the cakes, top with another cake and enjoy!

Easy Coconut Flour Pancakes!

We finally have a quick, high protein coconut flour pancake we all enjoy. I like to make six very large pancakes from this recipe. Six eggs to six pancakes means, obviously, a full egg of protein per pancake to hold us over all morning. You can make them any size you like. They reheat well in the toaster oven for an even faster breakfast the next day.

Coconut flour is my very favorite flour to work with. I really think that if I could miraculously consume gluten again coconut flour would still be my go to. It's packed full of nutrition and only a small amount is used per recipe. It does require a large quantity of eggs or flax-eggs but that makes baked goods that are nutritious and satisfying. We find that keeping protein high and carbs low in general keeps us feeling better and more focused through the day.

I have only used Tropical Traditions coconut flour and recently heard that using another brand made for some rather dry cupcakes in one of my recipes. Perhaps the cupcakes were a tad over baked, perhaps it was the flour - I don't know. But I'll stick with Tropical Traditions. When I'm making cupcakes or muffins in my Kitchen Aid mixer I rarely sift coconut flour, the mixer will take care of any lumps there may be.  When making pancakes or anything I stir by hand I sift the flour to make everything blend quickly and smoothly.

I also love Tropical Traditions coconut oil. If you are new to coconut oil you'll find their site to be really informative. You can choose from mild tasting for very strong coconut flavored oils. Coconut oil has many health benefits and just tastes so good that it is what I use most of the time to saute or bake. Even for the very occasional deep frying of onion rings! I always keep a spoonful or two of coconut oil in my cast iron pan when making pancakes. It makes for crispy edges and is a good way to get a bit more coconut oil in.

Flax seed is a great source of fiber and protein and even calcium so that's why I add some to the batter. I like to use a finely milled golden flax from Flax USA. I find huge bags of it at Costco.

Local honey sweetens these pancakes. I've used as little as a scant tablespoon to two tablespoons.

Easy Coconut Flour Pancakes!
Preheat skillet.
Makes six large or eighteen small pancakes.

1/3 cup Coconut Flour
6 eggs
1/2 cup Coconut Oil,  melted plus more for cooking the pancakes
1/2 cup Water
Dash Salt - I used either Himalayan or Grey Sea Salt
1 to 2 Tablespoons honey
2 rounded Tablespoons Flax Meal

I melt the coconut oil in my cast iron skillet while measuring all the rest of the ingredients into my mixing bowl.

Combine all ingredients until just mixed. Add another spoonful of coconut oil to your pan and melt.

Drop by spoonfuls onto hot skillet. Let cook until the entire top is covered in tiny bubbles. It won't look dry around the edges like most other pancakes. Slide a metal spatula under the pancake and turn quickly. Cook another few seconds and serve.

I love to drizzle a teeny bit more honey and add a pat of Kerry Gold butter on top (not casein free) on mine but I usually eat them plain.

Fast & Easy Flax Chips or Crackers!

Sometimes a recipe seems so basic to me that I don't think it blog-worthy. These flax chips or crackers are one of those recipes. It is really more of a technique than a recipe like many of my other favorites.

These are a great naturally gluten free snack that you can put together in minutes. Flax seeds are full of fiber, minerals, omega 3 fatty acid, anitoxidants and vitamins. You'll feel good scooping up your guacamole with these. But do be mindful that while they are nutritionally amazing they are not exactly low calorie!

They really couldn't be easier to mix up. They are simply flax seeds, water and salt. The mild nutty taste works great with nearly every dip you can dunk them into. It's also a wonderful base for adding spices and herbs. Get the basic recipe down and play with it.

I take equal parts flax seeds and filtered water and a bit of sea salt to taste and mix them in a bowl. The mixture will become gelatinous and spreadable very quickly. You can get an idea of the texture of the flax/water combination in the bowl.

It's at this point I would add any herbs or spices to the bowl. My Flax Fiesta Crackers are a new favorite - but for now we'll keep it simple and straightforward.

Dividing the mixture between two parchment covered baking sheets I spread it as thin as possible for chips (or a little thicker for crackers). Bake in a slow oven as my grandma would say. I use 300 degrees if nothing else is in the oven. If I'm baking other things I will go as high as 350 degrees.

You can see in the photo on the middle right that the seeds are spread very thin. This is what I do for chips. I'd keep it a little thicker for a cracker - that's the only difference.

After an hour or so I usually flip the whole sheet of flax over to dry the other side. That's what you're really after, drying them rather than baking them.

If the edges start to brown while the center isn't quite done I just snap off pieces around the edges, put them in a bowl and put the tray back in the oven.

You can score the sheet of flax with a pizza cutter after about 45 minutes to get squares like I've done on the right. Breaking off pieces works just as well. Up to you.

So, here's the actual recipe:

Fast & Easy Flax Chips or Crackers
Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Line two baking sheets with Parchment Paper.

2 cups Flax Seeds, Roasted or Raw
2 cups Filtered Water
1.2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Mix everything together and let sit for a few minutes to gel.

Divide mixture evenly between two baking sheets and spread as thin or thick as you like.

Put in the oven and check every thirty  minutes or so. When the top and edges look dry I put the cookies sheets on the stove and carefully flip them over so the bottom is now on the top and can dry.

Once they're dry and you can snap off chip sized pieces you are done. Depending on thickness it could be two hours or more.

Enjoy!

Easy Peasy Perfectly Healthy Valentine Treats!

Last night I made my German Chocolate Bites in anticipation of a certain coconut and chocolate loving dinner guest and her mom.

Because this has been my go to treat lately and I've made a couple of other variations of these for our guests I wanted to switch things up a bit. Since it is Valentine's week I decided to try pressing the mixture into a silicone heart shaped tray I picked up at Target a couple of years ago. Each tray had fourteen hearts and the recipe filled two trays perfectly.  They popped out easily and looked a little more special this way.

So if you're looking for a naturally gluten free, grain free, vegan and refined sugar free treat you can put together for the people you love in fifteen minutes or less; this is for you.

Enjoy!

December Sanity Challenge?

The mere fact that I am updating the December Sanity Challenge on the seventh day of January should really tell you all you need to know about my success on said challenge. ;-)

Overall, I did manage to keep most of my goals while finishing up our homeschooling for the year, preparing for Christmas and keeping the usual errands, cooking and chores going. Blogging was postponed. That was okay. I was staying on track, making homemade gifts for loved ones, wrapping presents and feeling overall serene.

Yet since staying healthy was my main goal I guess I wasn't ultimately successful. I spent the last five days of December in bed with the flu despite daily exercise, adequate sleep and keeping our diet healthy and low in sugar.  I'd like to think it could have been worse if I hadn't been healthy to start. Yet the fact it's still holding on to my chest twelve days later is making that hard for me to believe. But it is better now and I'm so thankful for that.

My Bible reading was wonderful, my actual Bible study time wasn't so much a success, though. There's catch up to do there and I've got two new devotionals to fit in as well. I'm looking forward to digging into each of them.

The best part of the December Sanity Challenge was the opportunity to meet some new bloggers and be challenged by their goals and posts. It was nice to sit with a cup of tea and read through the facebook and blog posts as I had time.

For a round up of all the posts, go to Cheryl's site Gluten Free Goodness and check them out. Each and every site is unique and worth looking through. One thing you'll notice if you read through the post is that I was fortunate enough to win a copy of Carrie's Cookbook! How fun is that? I'm excited to read through it and hope to find some yummy slow cooker recipes for busy school days.

There's still a lot to catch up on and a fun lunch at the Irregardless with Laura is next on the blog schedule.

For now, here's a quick non-recipe for a healthy, naturally gluten free, vegan, refined sugar free treat. This is one I've been asked about a lot recently and the first Lara Bar type treat I ever made. It's been several years since I started making these and they're such a great go to treat.  Once you have your nut to fruit ratio down you can vary them to your heart's content.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Bites

Makes 13 cookie dough bites.

1 Cup Peanuts, Roasted and Salted
1/2 Cup Organic Dates, Pitted and packed firmly (I used seven large dates)
1/4 Cup Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips

In a food processor combine peanuts and dates, pulsing until well mixed but not so long the peanuts start to turn to peanut butter.

I like a little texture - you can see what it should look like in the picture at right.  Dump the mixture onto a plate and pour chocolate chips on top.

Using clean hands knead the mixture together, squeezing and mixing until you have a soft mass of dough. Using a tablespoon for a mold, pack the mixture into the tablespoon and tap it out onto the plate.

Three ingredients, less than ten minutes. Can't go wrong with a quick and wholesome treat like these.

Enjoy.