No Tricks Here...

No tricks here. Just treats.

Halloween is here, and who can blame you for craving something sweet?

Not me.

Do not despair, or beat yourself up, but don't reach for the plastic pumpkin with the candy just yet.

Reach for a real pumpkin (or canned pumpkin) and make yourself some sweet pumpkin treats.

How about making those Sunday morning pancakes for a family, but trying a gluten free, dairy free, pumpkin pancake stack...

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pancakes
Ingredients
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
3 eggs
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon maple syrup (honey would probably work well here too or agave nectar)
Optional: Walnuts, Pecans, Cranberries, or maybe a few chocolate chips

Directions
Mix dry ingredients together (flour, baking soda, salt, pumpkin pie spice)
In another bowl whisk eggs, coconut oil, coconut milk, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree.
Add dry ingredients to egg mixture gradually
Heat your skillet (grease first with non stick spray or coconut oil) and make those flap jacks!
*Note the batter is very thick so just keep and eye on them to make sure they don't burn and that the inside gets thoroughly cooked.
Serve with maple syrup, or butter, or some apple butter, or fruit, or just roll 'em up and devour this little tasty cakes.

Or maybe try a new twist on an old favorite?? Pumpkin bread is absolutely delicious and you shouldn't have to always miss out since you are g-free....

Why not make an extra batch, grab a jug of apple cider, and brighten up your office with an autumn/halloween treat?

The original recipe has been left below, in case you or someone you love can tolerate gluten but I've also added my own modifications to provide a gluten free, dairy free, and slightly lighter version of this wonderful old favorite.

I should mentioned that I got this wonderful recipe from my darlin’ Mother, who got it from her co-worker whose mother, Ms. Joyce Sievers of Martinsburg, WV, is the baker responsible for making the original recipe.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients
2 c. flour tapioca flour
2 t. baking powder

½ t. baking soda

1 t. sea salt

1 T. cinnamon

½ t. nutmeg

1 c. pumpkin

½ c. coconut milk

1 c. sugar pure maple syrup

½ c. vegetable oil or melted butter  unsweetened applesauce

2 eggs

½ c.  nuts (optional) or dark chocolate chips (keep it to 85% or greater to keep sugar levels down)

Directions
Mix all together with a whisk.   Pour into a greased loaf pan.  Bake 45 – 50 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

yum yum!

Happy Halloween!!!

It’s incredible and edible…

Eggs!

You can scrambled them with a bit of cheese...

Or hard boil for a quick and portable breakfast in the AM...

You can have them sunny side up...

Or poached...

But, to be perfectly honest…the old standby ways of making eggs can get tiresome after a while...

So here are a few recipes (with modifications and options) to break you out of your standard egg rut….

Andrea’s Broccoli Sausage Egg Bake (YAY for little sister's cooking skills!)

Ingredients

• 8-10 eggs
• ¼ cup skim milk (or coconut milk if you don’t tolerate dairy well)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 cup cooked, chopped, broccoli
• 1 cup cooked, crumbled, sausage (use turkey sausage to reduce the fat and cholesterol or veggie sausage—but use caution a lot of veggie sausage crumbles and patties contain wheat or gluten)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1-1.5 cups cooked hash browns
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix eggs, skim milk, ground mustard, and salt and pepper to taste.
• Spray casserole dish with cooking spray (make sure it’s gluten free!) or lightly grease with coconut oil.
• Layer broccoli, then sausage, then egg mixture
• Cook hashbrowns on the stove—about half way (if they are frozen this gets the water out of them)
• Bake egg/sausage/broccoli mix for approximately 20 minutes
• Take egg/sausage/broccoli mix out of the oven and put hashbrowns on top.
• Put casserole back in oven for another 10 minutes or so (or until you can stick a fork in the middle and it comes out clean and the potatoes on top are brown)
• Garnish with fresh chopped parsley

*If broccoli/sausage/cheddar isn’t your pleasure….try fresh basil, chopped tomato, garlic, and asiago….or ham, chopped onion, and swiss cheese…

Jamie’s Egg Pops

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons fat free half and half (or coconut milk, or regular milk)
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• ½ tablespoon dill
• 2 tablespoons light cream cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix eggs, half and half, salt and pepper, dill, and cream cheese (you may want to soften the cream cheese or prepare to whip this mix a while)
• Pour egg mixture equally into 6 muffin tins (make sure you have greased the tins with coconut oil or cooking spray)
• Bake for 20 minutes or until you see the egg ‘muffins’ actually start to pop out like this…

Dill and Cream Cheese

Enjoy! Serve immediately if you can, because they lose that nice puff after a few minutes.

If you aren’t a dill person, try broccoli and cheddar cheese…also very tasty!

Broccoli and Cheddar

Queen B's Superhuman Smoothie

Ever wonder what super heroes drink for breakfast?

 I admit I have wondered what the optimal breakfast for a superhuman would be...

Since I am not besties with any real life superheroes (although I would argue some of my friends are pretty close), I cannot tell you what said super people have for breakfast with 100% certainty...

But I am pretty sure (let's say 92%) that you will feel delightfully refreshed, satisfied, and ready to take on the day after having a superhuman (super green) smoothie for breakfast...

Yes, I realize they are so green they almost glow!

Superhuman Supergreen Smoothie
(Serves 2)

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of coconut milk (I like Silk Pure Coconut Milk Vanilla)
• 1 frozen banana (if you don't have frozen bananas on hand use a regular one and throw in some ice cubes)
• 1 apple, chopped (don't bother peeling it-there is fiber in the skin)
• handful (roughly 1 cup loosely packed) kale --if you want to increase the amount of kale that's great just go a little bit at a time and taste it regularly--don't overkale yourself at the beginning
• 3/4 cup frozen mango (or frozen tropical fruit medley of your choosing)

Directions
Put it all the blender and mix it up!
Note 1: If you don't have a super powered blender you might try blending one ingredient at a time (maybe start with kale and coconut milk)...
Note 2: Depending on your prefered thickness you may go with more coconut milk

With a little less than 200 calories per serving, tons of fruits and veggies, and naturally dairy and gluten free...this sweet, creamy, treat should satisfy you without weighing you down!

Enjoy!

**As an aside my Dad mentioned that I needed a better pitch to get people to drink anything green, but I swear the flavor is tasty and not too intense at all, you will just look really tough as you sip your green breakfast....and hence you will appear to be a super tough super hero (even if you don't always feel like one).

**Credit to my friend, Bridgette, who was the one responsible for coming up with this delightful concoction. Thanks Queen B!!

Applepalooza!

Last weekend was Apple Harvest in my home town of Martinsburg, WV.

It was such a nice visit. So happy to be home.

We cheered on the Apple Trample (5k) participants early in the afternoon

Then went off to the Apple Harvest Parade.

Then to the Arts and Crafts Festival

Did I mention I love WV?

In honor of Apple Harvest I put together several recipes that use apples in slightly different ways than your average apple pie (which IS delicious, don't get me wrong!)....

Unfortunately, my camera gave me some flack so some of the pictures weren't usable and others were a little blurry. Sorry about that. But the recipes overall turned out well, so if you are game for a whole day's worth of apple related food, I have some recipes for you...

Recipe # 1 Apple Cider Pork Loin

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon of olive or coconut oil
1 pork loin
1 garlic clove
Salt and Pepper, to taste
dash of cumin
1 cup of apple cider
1 cup of chicken broth

Directions:
1. Heat oil on stove at medium to high heat--when it gets hot toss your garlic in the skillet
2. While the skillet and oil warm, rub the pork loin with sea salt, pepper, and a little cumin
3. Brown all sides of the pork loin (should take about 10 minutes)
4. Preheat oven to approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit
5. Place the pork loin into a baking dish with 1 cup chicken broth and 1 cup apple cider
6. Cook for about 20 minutes (or until it's just barely pink inside)
7. Take the pork loin out of the oven and allow it to 'rest' for 5-10 minutes (it will continue baking)

Serve with recipe #2: Kale with Bacon, Apple, and Onion....

Recipe #2: Kale with Apples, Onion, and Bacon

Ingredients
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1 vidalia onion, finely chopped
1 bunch organic kale (or swiss chard)
1/2 golden delicious apple, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Pan fry bacon
2. Remove bacon and drain fat from the pan
2. Sautee onion and apple for about 5 minutes until the onions start to carmelize
3. Add bacon back into the onion and apple mixture

4. Toss with kale or chard until it becomes bright green (take care not to over cook it)
5. Salt and pepper to your liking
*if it starts to stick to the pan add a dash of olive oil

  

Enjoy!

If you are really hungry you can serve recipe 1 and 2 with recipe #3....

Recipe #3: Curried Buttnernut Squash Soup with Apple

Ingredients:
1 tbsp olive oil or coconut oil
1 large butternut squash
1 garlic clove
1 apple (I used golden delicious but use your favorite....granny smith or honey crisp would work well also)
3 stalks (medium sized) celery, chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
2-3 cups of chicken broth (depending on how thick you like your soup
1 teaspoon cumin
1 dash of tumeric (add more if you like a little spice)
1/4 cup coconut milk
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cook butternut squash (slice lengthwise, scoop seeds, and face down in pan) for about 45 minutes
3. While squash is cooking chop your onions and celery
4. Put onions, apple, and celery into pan (should be medium heat and have some of your oil already melted)
5. Cook onions, apples, and celery until carmelized
6. When squash is finished, scoop out the 'meat' and add in the pan with the onions and celery
7. Add 2-3 cups of chicken broth
8. Add cumin and tumeric (and salt and pepper to taste)

  

9. Let mixture simmer for 5 minutes
10. Add coconut milk (or sour cream if you prefer)
11. Put the soup into the blender in batches and blend until smooth

Enjoy!

Alas, I enjoyed the recipes but for my tastebuds nothing is better than taking a bite out of a crisp, just picked, apple. Oh yea, and being home.  



Enjoy Some Fruity Garuti's

 I know I promised apple recipes this week, and apple recipes you shall have...I'm working on whipping some up apple dishes tonight. But, while I work on apple harvest related items to please your palate I thought I should provide you with a little wheat free, dairy free, paleo friendly dessert item to hold you over until applepalooza.



But first a little background information:

A few weekends ago Darren, Pretty, Hudson, and I packed the truck and drove north to Pennsylvania. We met my college roommate Bridgette (known to those who know and love her as Queen B) and our dear college buddy (and QB's boo of 9 years) John (a.k.a Johno).

YAY for friends! YAY for fun! YAY for the poconos!



The Buddy. The Huddy Buddy Swimming.



We laughed, exercised, ate, and drank...and Hudson swam foreverrrrr...

Then Hudson and Pretty crashed hard....and tried to fit themselves into beds that were meant for much tinier pups...but don't tell them that...they look soo comfy..

We had lots of delicious, homemade, healthful meals and made up new recipes as we went along. Johno's fruity Garuti cookies we one of my absolute favs from the weekend.
So without further adieu, I present to you....Johno's Fruity Garuti Cookies...

Johno’s Fruity Garuti Cookies

Ingredients

• 4 cups almond flour (1 package)
• 1.5 cups shredded coconut
• 1.5 cups dried fruit – whatever you prefer
• Cinnamon to taste
• 2-2.5 cups (10 oz or so) agave (honey would also probably work)

 Directions

• Mix all dry ingredients.

• Heat up the agave so it flows freely.

• Mix all that together.
• Let it sit for an hour in the fridge…makes it easier to shape balls.
• Cook at 350F for 12-15 minutes.

Note: Make sure to coat the cookie tray in coconut oil as well.

Other options: You can substitute chocolate or carob chips for shredded coconut if desired!

 Enjoy!

So naturally I wanted to share them with you!

They are paleo friendly, non dairy, gluten free and amazingly delish!

Where I come from....

Where I come from (Martinsburg WV) we love us some apples.

In fact, this weekend I'll be at the Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival (MSAHF).

I will eat apples all weekend. Golden delicious, fuji, macintosh, honey crisp...

I will eat them with caramel dipping sauce, with peanut butter.

There will be apple dumplings, apple pies, apples covered in chocolate, candied apples, and apple butter. (I know I sound a bit like the guy from Forest Grump...Bubba?)

There will be apple peeling contests, apple eating contests, apple pie baking contests.

There is an Apple Queen (Queen Pomona) and Apple Princesses (yes, I was one back in the day too, circa 2000)...woo woo for Apple Royalty:)

An apple parade...

An apple race (apple trample 5k)....

And I could keep going. on. And on. And on.

Yes, where I come from we love apples. I've eaten apples in all sorts of different ways...but my absolute favorite is just eating them in their natural form...biting into a crisp golden delicious..
I'm fairly sure my excitement is palpable at this point...can you tell I'm excited?!

It's true I currently reside in Virginia and I love it, and I love my Hokies and Virginia Tech. While Virginia is where I reside, WV is (and will always be) my home.

I love apples. I love friends. I love family. I love home. I LOVE West Virginia.

I'll post some pics from this weekend, and in honor of the Apple Harvest Festival I'll have some apple-related recipes to share next week as well...

Country roads...take me home...to the place I belong....West Virginia

I think an angel danced on my tongue....

I swear I tasted heaven (seriously, my tastebuds were dancing!) at the Good Natured Vegetarian Cafe on Columbus Day (Monday).

Puppies and rainbows...that's what heaven is made of:)
 and this cake..

Columbus founded the new world, and I found a whole new level of gluten free deliciousness in my very own hometown of Martinsburg, WV. 




See the sunlight that appears to be shining on the cake?
I think there were actually rays of sunshine coming from it!

 I swear I am not exaggerating when I tell you that their gluten free carrot cake is AMAZING/OUT OF THIS WORLD/RIDICULOUSLY delicious. Little flecks of fresh carrot (and what appears to be zucchini) adorn this tasty treat and it's covered in a cream cheese icing that has just the right amount of sweetness.

Even if you aren't gluten intolerant and/or allergic, you must--I repeat YOU MUST check this place out.


It was late afternoon (post-lunch hour) so I didn't get a chance to sample the rest of the menu--but you can rest assured I will next time I am back home.


Here is their website:
http://www.goodnaturedllc.com/


And menu:
http://www.goodnaturedllc.com/?page_id=12

If you live in the area or are just passing through, it's well worth your time and money to check this place out.
What's your favorite hometown gluten free treat?

Pumpkins--not just for carving...

Yes, carving is fun. But so is eating.



 Yummerz.

These are SO GOOD. Moist, delicious, not too sweet.

A perfect paleo friendly, gluten free, nutritous, delicious start to your day.


Paleo, Gluten Free, Dairy Free Pumpkin Muffins.

Ingredients:
1½ cup – almond flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot powder)
1 teaspoon – non aluminum baking powder
1 teaspoon – baking soda
1½ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice (5 calories)
1/8 teaspoon – salt

1/2 cup raisins or cranberries (optional)--you could also try dark chocolate chips..yumo
3 large – whole eggs
3/4 cup – canned pumpkin; I used mashed, baked pumpkin
1/4 to 1/3 cup maple syrup or honey depending upon your sweet tooth

Liberally grease 8 muffin tins with cooking spray.

If you have empty muffin tins you will need to fill them half way up the sides with water to prevent warping during baking. Be careful when removing the pan from the oven to avoid getting burned by the hot water!

Combine the almond flour, tapioca, baking powder, baking soda, spice, sea salt, and optional raisins/cranberries in a medium bowl. Whisk the eggs in another bowl or the workbowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade or in a blender. Add the pumpkin or squash and maple syrup or honey. Mix to combine. Add the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.

Pour mix into the 6 tins. (actually got 9 muffins out of this recipe)  

Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes on the middle rack in the oven until muffins pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the sides and invert over a cooling rack. When cool, cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days or refrigerate for longer storage. They also freeze well. 

Note 2: Maple syrup has a lower carb and calorie count per tablespoon compared to honey.

Orginal recipe came from here (and was modified based on what I had available and our personal preferences) http://www.thehealthycookingcoach.com/2010/02/if-you-love-or-once-loved-pumpkin-bread-and-muffins-but-youre-avoiding-wheat-gluten-or-grain-youll-love-this-tasty-r.html

Note 1: If you can find a pumpkin at your farmers market (make sure they are the type for eating, sometimes called 'pie pumpkins', not carving--those are NOT good to eat-low nutrients and taste) try making the recipe with fresh baked pumpkin. If that's not in the cards just get regular canned pumpkin (no added sugar-don't get pie filling).

I hope you enjoy!!

What's your favorite gluten free start to your day? I love eggs, don't get me wrong, but I get a little sick of them...

Growing up is overated!

No matter how fancy and grown up you think you are, sometimes you crave a meal that would be fit for even the pickiest 3 year old. Like say...chicken tenders.

Ok, at least I do.


I mean, what little kid won't eat chicken tenders? They are classic kiddie fare.


Sure, I'm 28 years old. And I'm supposed to be a grown up.


Supposedly grown ups have grown up palettes...and I do.


Most of the time anyway...But not today!


Today I will eat chicken tenders with no shame. Because aside from their less mature palettes, we can learn a lot from kids.


Here are a few lessons we can learn from the way tiny humans live:


#1 They are ALWAYS present.

They aren't constantly worried about the state of their 401k, or what the S&P did today. Nope, right here-right now is all they know. If they are swinging on the swingset, their only goal is to pump those legs and get as high as they can. Kids rock.

#2. Simple things make them so happy.

Bubbles--kids. love. bubbles.

#3 Eternal Optimism.

They view the world with such wonder and optimism. In their minds everyone is a good person as long as they place nice and share.

I really miss finger painting. Grown ups do entirely too little finger painting.

#4 Everything is a game.

Seriously, kids can turn anything into a game. Raking leaves, sure that's a chore but at the end you can do this...

#5 They use their imagination and dream big.

The possibilities of what they can do and what they can imagine aren't boxed in by societal constrictions. And did I mention, it's OK to have an imaginary friend when you are a kid? So cool. As a grown up, not so much. And if some kid tells you they want to be a fire breathing dentist or the tooth fairy when they grow up, what do you tell them? No? Please, you smile and encourage them. I repeat. Kids rock.

So yes. Today, I will eat like a little kid. Even better (and in true kid fashion), Darren executed (brilliantly) the recipe below so I didn't even have to make my own chicken fingers. Score!


Here is my grown up, gluten free, version of a little kid favorite...

Almond-Crusted Chicken Fingers 

Original recipe from: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/almond_crusted_chicken_fingers.html

(modified by yours truly and mastered by Darren)

Ingredients

•Pam cooking spray

•1/2 cup sliced almonds

•1/4 cup whole-wheat flour  use almond flour instead if you can't handle gluten and wheat

•1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

•1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

•1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

•1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

•4 large egg whites

•1 pound chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)

Preparation

1.Preheat oven to 475°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Set a wire rack on the baking sheet and coat it with cooking spray.

2.Place almonds, almond flour, paprika, garlic powder, dry mustard, salt and pepper in a food processor; process until the almonds are finely chopped and the paprika is mixed throughout, about 1 minute. With the motor running, drizzle in oil; process until combined. Transfer the mixture to a shallow dish.

3.Whisk egg whites in a second shallow dish. Add chicken tenders and turn to coat. Transfer each tender to the almond mixture; turn to coat evenly. (Discard any remaining egg white and almond mixture.) Place the tenders on the prepared rack and coat with cooking spray; turn and spray the other side.

4.Bake the chicken fingers until golden brown, crispy and no longer pink in the center, 20 to 25 minutes.

Since we were fresh out of macaroni and cheese we put our chicken tenders atop our favorite salad combos (based on what we had in the fridge anyway)

 

Darren's salad



Jamie's Salad



Enjoy!!

What are your kiddie cravings?

What lesson have you learned from the tiny humans?

Autumnal Happiness

Fall is here! I love the change of seasons. It's like a quarterly fresh start.


It's usually a challenge for me to stay in the present moment (rather than constantly planning the future)...but yesterday was unusually easy. I was reveling in autumn (even on a Monday!).


I came back from a trip last week to find the temperature had dropped, the leaves were in full change mode, and of course...all the VT football fans were in town....with that little trifecta you have to know...


Fall is officially here.

My dog Pretty--isn't she adorbs?

So I started my day with some bollos pumpkin spiced coffee, my regular dose of NPR (btw-it's fall fund drive time so do the right thing and donate to your local NPR station), and the window cracked (letting in the cool air) on my way to work...


....I got a tall nonfat pumpkin spice latte hold the whip at lunch time (Maybe the fact that I was HIGHLY caffeinated helped my mood today??)

Oh yes. So very happy.

...returned home from work and went on a nice long walk on campus with my husband and dogs

My other pup, Hudson. Such a sweet goob.

...bonus I got to get all bundled up in my sweatshirt and favorite old winter hat...

.....and got more coffee....don't worry this time it was decaf....
....and ended the day by making some butternut squash soup.


This is a fall favorite at my house.


As soon as I see butternut squash at the farmers market I start craving it...


Butternut Squash Soup

      Ingredients

·         1 large butternut squash

·         1 small parsnips (if you don't like parsnips you could probably try a potato)

·         3 stalks of celery

·         ½ cup of shredded carrots

·         1 small Vidalia onion

·         2  Tablespoons olive oil

·         Dash of celery salt

·         ¼ cup of low fat sour cream (optional)

·        3 cups chicken broth (use 2 cups if you like your soup very thick)--I went with two cups last night and probably should have added that last cup
*Optional: small cooked turkey sausage patty


Preparation

·    Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit

·    Cut squash lengthwise, spray 9” x13” pan with pam spray and brush squash with 1 tablespoon olive oil

·    Cook squash for approximately 45 minutes, will be done when skin can be easily penetrated with a fork

·    Chop up parsnip, onion, celery, and carrots put into pot with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a few shakes of celery salt…let the vegetables get soft and cook down for 5 minutes

·     Add 2 cups of chicken broth to the vegetable mixture and allow it to cook down further for another 5 minutes (or until vegetables look soft). Medium to high heat (low boil)...if you are using the sausage patty (chopped up) add it to the veggie mix at this time

·    When squash is finished, scoop out the ‘meat’ and put into pot with the other vegetables.

·    Add the rest of the chicken broth and let the vegetables and squash cook for a few minutes—all the vegetables should be soft enough to be pureed easily. 

·   Add sour cream if you want at this point

·   Then either with immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor (for the last two you will need to blend in small batches) blend the soup together until smooth.

     **For a full on meatless autmnal meal pair this with a salad comprised of your favorite greens, walnuts, fresh sliced apples, blue cheese, and a balsamic vinaigrette

What's your favorite thing about fall?

Any favorite fall recipes? Please share!