17 September 2010
These perfectly delicious brownie bites should fill that empty chocolate spot! (Not only are they just the right size for a little treat – they’re also gluten-free, which is splendid!)
“Brownie Bites”
OVEN: 325° F | BAKE: 10 minutes | YIELD: 40-44 Mini-Muffins | NOTE: Gluten-Free
Dry Ingredients:
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup sorghum
1/4 cup potato starch
2 Tb. tapioca starch
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup evaporated cane juice or sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chips
Wet Ingredients:
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup applesauce
2 Tb. vanilla extract
1/2 cup hot coffee
In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients, excluding the chocolate chips. Add the wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Drop batter in lightly greased mini-muffin pans with small scoop. Bake for 10 minutes at 325° F. Let brownies stand in muffin pans for several minutes to set up. After setting, tumble the brownies out onto a cooling rack.
These freeze fabulously! (You could easily make a double or triple batch, freeze lots, and have ready-to-eat chocolaty brownie bites.)
Fact: You can stir the batter as much as you would like to! This is because there is not any gluten, which, when over-stirred, could stiffen the batter and make the brownies tough!
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4 September 2010
“He changes a wilderness into a pool of water
And a dry land into springs of water;
And there He makes the hungry to dwell,
So that they may establish an inhabited city,
And sow fields and plant vineyards,
And gather a fruitful harvest.
Also He blesses them and they multiply greatly,
And He does not let their cattle decrease. ”“Who is wise? Let him give heed to these things,
And consider the lovingkindnesses of the LORD.”—Psalm 107:35-38, 43
30 August 2010
Patiently waiting for the completion of a photo shoot, Bently stood a few feet away watching the scenery and taking in the smells of the great outdoors.
After the photo shoot was finished, he realized what was actually on the plate being photographed . . . and he also realized that the contents were edible . . . and rather scrumptious looking.
For his endurance and patience while waiting, he got his reward.
P.S. No worries, he ate just a few small bites.
16 August 2010
When we said goodbye to gluten, we thought we said goodbye to graham crackers, too.
But it seems as though the latter goodbye was short-lived.
After receiving a link from a sweet friend for gluten-free graham crackers, we thought we would give them a try. It couldn’t hurt, right? We don’t regret trying the recipe one bit.
They’re even far better than the packaged, store-bought graham crackers!
And now that you’re wanting to try them for yourself, you might want to click here to print out the recipe and head on into the kitchen to tie your apron on!
One of our projects will be revealed in the not-so-distant future . . . but in the meantime, we’ll have to keep it “under wraps.” (You may find a clue or two now and then.)
Keep updated so that you don’t miss any of those clues!
14 July 2010
Cookies. Chocolate. Peanut butter.
All together in one perfect little cookie. These are the best cookies I have ever had – with a couple others falling in at a close second and third.
If it hadn’t been for eating gluten-free, we probably would never have found the best chocolate chip cookie recipe . . . and believe me – even though they’re free of gluten – these taste wonderfully normal (and even better)!
With no further ado (expect to say “Thank you!” to Kate, who has graciously let me post a slightly altered version of her recipe on my blog), here is the recipe . . .
The Best Chocolate Chip + Peanut Butter Cookies
BAKE: 9 minutes at 325° | YIELD: Two Dozen | NOTE: They’re gluten-free!
Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups Gluten-Free Flour blend
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Combine the brown sugar, peanut butter and butter in the bowl of your mixer. Beat until fluffy – about 3 – 4 minutes. Beat in egg and vanilla extract until fluffy – about two minutes.
Dump in the dry ingredients (all but the chocolate chips) and mix until combined and smooth. Add chocolate chips. Mix until well distributed.
Form into balls (we use a 1″ scoop) and place on parchment paper about 2 inches apart.
Bake at 325°F for 9 minutes or until the top becomes slightly golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3-4 minutes on the cookie pan before lifting gently with a spatula to the cooling rack. Store in an airtight container.
Note: To use whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour in substitute for
the gluten-free flour blend (making it non-gluten-free), you can
use the same amount for the replacement. (Thanks, Katie, for the tip!)
These taste wonderful! I hope you enjoy them!
14 April 2010
After an autumn and winter of leaves and snow, our square-foot gardening boxes were left this spring holding on tight to the leaves and growing a few little foreigners (a.k.a. weeds that should not have been there).
Each box is 4′ x 4′ with small boards on top dividing the large box into sixteen small boxes. The soil is made from compost, vermiculite and peat moss.
When plating in the miniature boxes, the number of seeds/starters per 1′ x 1′ depends on how large the plant will grow to be. For example four lettuces per small square and sixteen spinach’s per small square.
After cleaning out the boxes, Breezy planted several seeds (thanks to Auntie Lou) which have already sprouted and are growing nicely. Last year we made three square foot gardening boxes and this year we plan to make three more!
13 February 2010
They’re small. They’re pies. And they’re oh-so-sweet! Just in time for Valentine’s day, you can make these delicious pastries for your family!
All it takes is pie dough, jam, and a little bit of powdered sugar (for extra beauty).
Begin by flouring the counter and rolling pin and flatten out the pie dough.
Using a cookie cutter, cut out hearts in the dough.
Lay out the cut pie dough on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Spoon strawberry jam onto the centers, being careful not to fill them too full.
Wet the edges of the dough with water and place a second piece of dough on top.
Use a fork to crimp and seal the edges.
Poke a fork into the middle of each little pie so that the heat can escape.
Bake at 425° F for 13-15 minutes, or until golden.
Perfectly golden on the bottom!
Sprinkle with powered sugar for extra beauty.
They are delicious and will probably disappear quickly!
The pie dough was extra flaky, making the perfect texture.
We decided that these are the cutest little desserts that we have ever made!
This idea can be easily adjusted for any holiday or celebration by changing the shape of the cookie cutter and type of jam/jelly/preserves used for the filling.
{Original idea from here.}
6 February 2010
Yes, stuffed French Toast. As if French toast wasn’t good enough—it just got better!
This morning my dear mother prepared this delightful dish! We ate it while listening to Mr. Botkin’s Saturday Morning Online Mentoring.
Stuffed French Toast
1 loaf French bread, cut into 8 diagonal slices (making very large slices)
1 cup homemade cream cheese (recipe below)
1/2 cup fruit preserves (we used peach)
5 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
Cut a each thick bread slice almost in half by cutting from the top crust almost to the bottom crust, making a pocket. Be careful to not slice completely through the bread. Mix cream cheese and preserves in small bowl. Spoon cream mixture evenly into each pocket.
Beat eggs, milk, vanilla and cinnamon in a small bowl, until well mixed. Dip stuffed bread slices in egg mixture, making sure to let the excess drip off.
Spray griddle (our favorite!) or skillet with non-stick cooking spray. Cook bread slices over medium heat until golden brown, flip, and cook on other side.
For extra beauty, sprinkle each slice with powdered sugar. Serve with maple syrup, fruits, and/or whipped cream, if desired. Makes 8 slices of delicious Stuffed French Toast!
Homemade Cream Cheese
(it’s as easy as can be!)
1 1/2 cups nonfat plain yogurt
Line strainer with cheese cloth. Place strainer in bowl, large enough to hold the drained liquid without touching the strainer. Let strain in refrigerator for 4-8 hours. Discard the liquid in the bottom of the bowl.
The homemade cream cheese is what is left in the strainer! You can do this the day before it is needed, and store the cream cheese in a container after being drained.
We all thought it tasted delicious! The filling was great, but I think we put a little too much in the pocket. Next time we’ll put in less, and it will be perfect!
