Rest Well - In Memory of Elana Amsterdam of Elana's Pantry

 

An Unexpected Goodbye

I wish I could remember exactly when I started reading Elana's Pantry... but I can tell you it was before she posted one of my favorite low glycemic recipes for gluten free bread. This bread. 

I didn't know Elana in person, but we had emailed back and forth several times when we were both active food bloggers. She was thoughtful, kind, and always engaging. I loved her style and how professionally she presented her work: her cooking, her writing, her photography. Elana never stopped blogging and her work only become more prominent over the years. 

As with most blogs over the past 20+ years, you could see her work grow as she became more experienced and as she invested in her skills, her equipment, etc... she was a powerhouse when it came to writing, to baking, and to creating a welcoming and helpful community through her website. But her website was only one avenue in her life. Elana had been a part of (and began) several successful businesses throughout her life. She was a philanthropist and an entrepreneur. She was a loving mom, wife, daughter, and friend. 

Elana found her truth as a "wellness warrior, food fanatic, and paleo pioneer," as she proudly shared on her website. However, like so many of us, she also struggled with her own mental health. Her last penned post on February 8, 2025 shared that struggle, along with the myriad of other health issues she had faced over the past 20 years. Elana's recalling of her psychiatrist calling her a hypochondriac, brought me to tears... as someone who has had very similar experiences in the chair at medical offices.

I'm still struggling to find the words to fully share how I feel about the inexplicably sad, tragic loss of Elana. Her story, like so many others, share about the issues of medical inequality in our country. How women aren't taken seriously by many health care practitioners. Especially women over forty and women of color. And I fear it will only become worse with our current deeply anti-science, anti-truth political culture in the United States. (Please find whatever ways you can to support and educate about real journalism and the importance of science if you can.) 

If you ever find yourself in crisis or worried about self-harm, please keep this number & website handy: 

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 

• Call or text: 988
• Chat: 988lifeline.org

SAMHSA Helpline: This helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential assistance: 

• Call: 1-800-662-4257
• TTY: 1-800-487-4889
• Text your zip code to: 435748
• Visit: FindTreatment.gov to locate a treatment facility or provider

My food memories of Elana: 

Elana's first book is still my very favorite low glycemic, gluten free cookbook: 

• The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

From this cookbook my favorite recipes are: 

• Salmon Dill Burgers, p. 51
• Savory Vegetable Quiche, p. 61
• As a matter of fact I noted on this recipe "12-10-2010, Very very good!! Great crust! I used 4 eggs and Daiya cheese & roasted red peppers."
• Chocolate Chip Scones, p. 18
• When I brought these to work one day many years ago, my colleague Jeff asked if I could please bring them once a week! 
• Sesame Crackers, p. 36 - this is a great pizza crust too!
• Elana's Chocolate Chip Cookies, p.98  -- I wrote in the cookbook "easier than mine... make when you want fast but good cookies!" 
• Lemon Bars, p. 115

My favorite recipes from her website are: 

• Bread 2.0 -- when you want easy, yeast free, just good toastable bread, make this!
• Cinnamon Bun Muffins -- they really do taste just like cinnamon buns, i like them as minis! 
• Gluten Free Orange Almond Cake -- just like Starbux used to make! 
• Mustard Lime Chicken 
• Fish Sticks -- I'm such a sucker for kid friendly finger foods. I love fish sticks and they are hard to find gluten-free. These are easy and delicious and perfect for an ADHD, austistic gal, who just wants a somewhat healthy and easy protein that I can dip in ketchup. 

I wish I had the right words to express my gratitude and love to Elana's family. Elana taught me so much as a food blogger and about how to eat well. She taught me that simple is often far better than complicated. She taught me that good food doesn't have to be hard. 

As a practicing death and end of life doula (another avenue in my life that I need to write more about), I know her family is only at the beginning of their grief journey. We all experience grief of our loved ones differently and each person's experiences are so vastly different, even when experiencing grief for the same person. 

If there's anything I can hope for Elana's loved ones -- please know she loved you and she's so proud of you. Everything she did in her life was a reflection of the love she felt for her sons, her husband, her friends, her parents, etc. It was so clear in her writing and her recipes... it was all love. So much love. 

If you were a food blogger or a fan of Elana... maybe go make some of her chocolate chip cookies for your people. Tell them you love them. Hug someone tightly. Please reach out if you need help processing your feelings. 

Elana, we love you. I wish I had personally told you that. I wish I had personally told you that you made a difference in my life and you were an incredible person. 

Rest well Elana. You will never be forgotten. 

***

I am no longer on social media. If you would like to reach out with a comment or question, please email me at: gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com. 

Gluten-Free Vegan Vanilla/Yellow Cake Recipe & Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cupcakes Recipe

Podcast Note: I find it ironic that I said the date in the podcast was "Saturday April 4" lolol... so I obviously subconsciously knew that this would not go live until Monday April 4th! lolol Happy Monday y'all!!

Printable version of today's recipe.

Today’s recipe came from a failed experiment. A few of my colleagues and I are celebrating a friend’s birthday tomorrow and they have auto-immune health issues and eat a low inflammatory diet. What this means for baking is that they avoid gluten, eggs, coconut, and bananas. 

I asked our birthday colleague what kind of cupcakes they liked, and out of all the choices I offered, they said chocolate cake with chocolate icing -OR- chocolate chip cookie cupcakes. Personally, I think anyone who really enjoys baking, also wants to show off their baking… so I opted to make the more complicated “chocolate chip cookie cupcakes.” 

Silly, silly me. 

I’ve made chocolate chip cookie cupcakes in the past, but never as a vegan recipe without eggs. So I attempted to try a shortcut and made a gluten-free box cake mix recipe with an egg substitute (a mix of water, baking powder, and oil), but I knew trying to replace 4 eggs would be tricky. And anytime you use a LOT of baking powder, you generally taste it in the final product. Surprisingly to me, the batter tasted great… but the finished product? A total flop. They tasted terrible and I wasted a perfectly good gluten-free cake mix. Oh well. 

Then I spent about an hour looking at gluten-free vegan yellow cake recipes online. There are plenty to choose from, but I was hesitant to try any recipe with a lot of additional baking powder or baking soda. I finally decided to start with a recipe from Allergylicious. Many of the vegan cake recipes I saw were based on wartime “crazy cakes” or “wacky cakes”, or cakes that were made when things like milk and eggs were rationed during war times. Those cakes tended to have more oil than a traditional cake and increased leavening powder. If baking soda was used, an acid like white vinegar or apple cider vinegar was added to activate the soda to rise. Baking powder already has an acid added (cream of tartar) so it doesn’t need an additional acid. Some recipes even called for using both, which also helped with creating a better rise on the final product. 

From the comments I read on the Allergylicious post, I decided to cut back slightly on the gluten-free flour and add a tablespoon of ground psyllium husks, which helps to hold the shape of risen baked goods, along with adding texture that is similar to wheat. I also added a little bit of turmeric to add yellow color, which would normally come from egg yolks, and I added butter extract (in addition to vanilla extract) to better replicate the flavor of a yellow cake. Finally, I added ½ cup of Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips. The mini chocolate chips are key, because they aren’t heavy enough to weigh down the batter and sink to the bottom while baking. 

The cupcakes rose beautifully and I went with store bought shortcuts to finish them. I frosted with store-bought vanilla icing and decorated them each with a half of a Cybel’s ‘Free to Eat” allergen free chocolate chip cookie. They are my favorite store bought gluten-free chocolate chip cookies and they just happen to be vegan as well.  If you DO want to make your own homemade gluten-free chocolate chip cookies, I highly suggest my award-winning recipe, but I might be biased!

Gluten-Free Vegan Yellow Cake Recipe &

Gluten-Free Vegan Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

The recipe is adapted from: Allergylicious.com 

It’s also Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Egg-Free, Vegan, and Soy-Free

Makes 2 - 8” cake rounds, 18 cupcakes, or 1 - 9 x 13 baking dish

Printable version of this recipe

Dry Ingredients

2 ¾ cups all-purpose gluten-free flour for baking (I used King Arthur Gluten-Free Measure for Measure flour)

1 ½ cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon turmeric (for yellow color - OPTIONAL)

1 tablespoon psyllium powder (for helping hold the texture of the cupcakes when they rise, fiber is a bonus)

Wet Ingredients

2 cups non-dairy milk (I used oat milk, but only because my store was out of my normal almond milk)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

⅔ cups extra virgin olive oil (or any oil that doesn’t have a lot of flavor)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon butter extract or flavoring

Add-In’s: 

½ cup mini chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Allergen-Free Mini-Chocolate Chips)

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

• If making cake in round cake pans, line pans with parchment paper rounds and/or non-stick cooking spray, or line cupcake pans with paper liners, if using a 9x13 pan, spritz with non-stick cooking spray. 

• In a large bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. 

• In another bowl whisk together all wet ingredients. 

• Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and whisk together until ingredients are well incorporated and smooth, there should be no lumps. 

• Allow batter to rest for 10 minutes to allow the psyllium to thicken the batter. 

• After resting the batter, whisk the batter again, it should be thickened,  IF you are making the chocolate chip cupcakes, then gently stir in the mini chocolate chips, if you just want a yellow cake, leave out the chocolate chips.

• Add batter evenly to round cake pans, a 9x13 greased baking dish, or evenly into individual cupcake liners. If making cupcakes, fill nearly to the top. 

• Baking times: for cupcakes = 18-20 minutes, for 8” round cake pans = 30-35 minutes, for a 9x13” baking dish = 30-35 minutes. 

• Test the cake for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake or cupcake. It should come out mostly clean, with a crumb or two, you don’t want to see wet batter coating the toothpick. 

• When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pans, and then frosting & decorating. 

Kitchen Notes: 

• Turmeric. The turmeric for color is completely optional, leave it out or don’t use it if you don’t have it. 

• Sugar. You can probably use other types of sugar in this recipe if you don’t want to use white sugar. But I haven’t tried it, so I don’t know how it would turn out. If you use a liquid sugar like honey or maple syrup, you may want to decrease the other liquids by ⅓ of  a cup. 

• Psyllium husk powder. This is relatively easy to find on Amazon or in your local health food store. If you don’t want to use this, then increase the all purpose flour to 3 cups instead of 2 ¾ cups and just leave it out altogether. However, I have not made it without the psyllium, so I can’t guarantee the cake will come out as well. 

• Non-dairy milk. Honestly, I think you can use whatever milk you prefer. Coconut milk, almond milk, even dairy milk will work fine in this recipe if that is what you would prefer to use. 

• Olive oil. If you do not have or do not like to use extra virgin olive oil, I would recommend using a light tasting vegetable or coconut oil. If you can use butter all the better. If you do use butter, you can leave out the butter flavoring. 

Kitchen wisdom for today's recipe:

photo from wikipedia.com

• 
  

• “I want people to fall in love with themselves and to be really proud and full of joy for the space they take up. If someone else appreciates the space you take up, then that’s icing on the cake.” — Jonathan Van Ness

Need another serving? 

Please join me on facebook.com/Gingerlemongirlblog to share any comments and/or questions that you may have about today’s recipe. Happy gluten-free baking! 

Crustless or "Impossible" Gluten-Free Paleo Pumpkin Pie

My friend Heather has a lot of food sensitivities and a very persnickity digestive system. She's been to a ton of doctors, natural digestive specialists, GI specialists, etc.. and still doesn't have clear answers. In our texts over the past week I told her that I was sad that I couldn't really bake or cook for her anymore, because I just didn't know what she could tolerate. 

She said, "I just want pumpkin pie, and I know that YOU of all people can make me a pumpkin pie." 

Well alrighty then Heather... no pressure, no pressure at all! 

Impossible/Crustless Gluten-Free Paleo Pie 1 - made with arrowroot starch & egg yolks

So I quizzed her on all the basic ingredients of a pumpkin pie. What can she have? What can she not have? The base ingredients of any pumpkin pie are pureed pumpkin, sugar, eggs, milk, and spices. 

She said that she could tolerate pumpkin and dairy, but she could only tolerate egg YOLKS - but no whites, and sugar was out. No sugar?? Hmm...  AND she couldn't tolerate most sugar substitutes either, so no stevia, no "Swerve", and definitely no "Splenda". 

"How about maple syrup", I asked? "OOHHHHHHHHHH yes!!", she responded, she could definitely have maple syrup!

So I thought, "Okay, I think I can work with this". I decided to make a "crustless/impossible" pie, because if I was going to make an actual crust, the only flour she can handle in large quantities is cassava flour, a flour that I don't currently have in my pantry.  

 

Impossible/Crustless Gluten-Free Paleo Pie 2 - made with Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 GF flour & egg whites

I also asked Heather if she could handle arrowroot starch, a grain-free starch.  She said yes,  but in small quantities. So I decided to play with an "impossible" or crustless pie idea. Long ago, Bisquick created a whole series of "impossible" or "magic" casseroles. These casseroles and pies work by adding a little bit of flour or baking mix to the base ingredients of a recipe, and during the baking, a thin but crispy crust magically forms around all around the outside of the pie or casserole. 

I realized years ago that the idea also works great in gluten-free dessert pies. Try out my Almond Joy Impossible Pie or my first crustless pumpkin pie with a pretty pecan edge!

I'm actually sharing three recipes below. One recipe is for a pie made with 3 large eggs, another pie made instead with 6 large egg yolks and another pie made with 6 large egg whites.

That way, whether you can have actual eggs, just egg yolks, OR egg whites... you can STILL make a pumpkin pie. Please note that my recipe is adapted from Elana Amsterdam's Paleo Pumpkin Pie. Also, if you need or prefer an egg-free VEGAN crustless pumpkin pie - try this one from Fat Free Vegan, OR Cheryl Harris' GF Vegan Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie. 

*Crustless or "Impossible" Gluten-Free Paleo Pumpkin Pie 1 - Made with 6 egg yolks (for those with egg white allergies)

This recipe is: gluten-free, no added white sugar, nut-free, can be dairy-free

Printer-friendly recipe: https://tinyurl.com/yaa8vc8n 

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup grain-free starch = arrowroot starch, cassava flour, tapioca starch, or a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix (not paleo) - I used arrowroot starch
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (OR 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/2 teaspoon cloves)
• pinch salt
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup "milk" = half & half, coconut milk, or almond milk, or even canned dairy milk - I used half & half
• 1/2 cup sweetener = maple syrup or honey - I used maple syrup
• 1 (15 oz.) can canned pumpkin 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" pie pan and set aside. 
3. IF MIXING BY HAND: 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the grain-free starch of choice, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. 
5. On top of dry ingredients add in egg yolks, milk of choice, and maple syrup or honey. Again, whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth. 
6. Lastly whisk in canned pumpkin. Continue to whisk until very smooth and well blended. 
7. IF USING VITAMIX OR HIGH-POWERED BLENDER: 
8. Add all wet ingredients into blender: egg yolks, milk of choice, maple syrup or honey, and pumpkin. Blend on high or medium setting for a minute or so, until well incorporated. 
9. Add in dry ingredients: grain-free flour of choice, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend again on high or medium setting for another minute or so, until well blended and very creamy and smooth. 
10. TO BAKE: 
11. Pour pumpkin pie batter into the greased 9" pie pan, fill pan until it reaches edge. Do not overfill, you can always make pumpkin pie cupcakes with leftover batter!! 
12. Place pie pan on top of a baking sheet, just in case the pie spills over while baking. 
13. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 
14. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the center of the pie is no longer "jiggly" or a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. 
15. Let cool 20-30 minutes or longer. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream if tolerated. 

**Crustless or "Impossible" Gluten-Free Paleo Pumpkin Pie 2 - Made with 6 egg whites (for those with an egg yolk allergies)

This recipe is: gluten-free, no added white sugar, nut-free, can be dairy free, can be made paleo-friendly

Printer-friendly recipe: https://tinyurl.com/yaa8vc8n

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup grain-free starch = arrowroot starch, cassava flour, tapioca starch, or a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix (not paleo) - I used Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Mix, so my pie wasn't technically paleo
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (OR 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/2 teaspoon cloves)
• pinch salt
• 6 egg whites
• 3/4 cup "milk" = half & half, coconut milk, or almond milk, or even canned dairy milk - I used half & half
• 1/2 cup sweetener = maple syrup or honey - I used maple syrup
• 1 (15 oz.) can canned pumpkin 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" pie pan and set aside. 
3. IF MIXING BY HAND: 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the grain-free starch of choice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. 
5. On top of dry ingredients add in egg whites, milk of choice, and maple syrup or honey. Again, whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth. 
6. Lastly whisk in canned pumpkin. Continue to whisk until very smooth and well blended. 
7. IF USING VITAMIX OR HIGH-POWERED BLENDER: 
8. Add all wet ingredients into blender: egg yolks, milk of choice, maple syrup or honey, and pumpkin. Blend on high or medium setting for a minute or so, until well incorporated. 
9. Add in dry ingredients: grain-free flour of choice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend again on high or medium setting for another minute or so, until well blended and very creamy and smooth. 
10. TO BAKE: 
11. Pour pumpkin pie batter into the greased 9" pie pan, fill pan until it reaches edge. Do not overfill, you can always make pumpkin pie cupcakes with leftover batter!! 
12. Place pie pan on top of a baking sheet, just in case the pie spills over while baking. 
13. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 
14. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the center of the pie is no longer "jiggly" or a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. 
15. Let cool 20-30 minutes or longer. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream if tolerated. 

***Crustless or "Impossible" Gluten-Free Paleo Pumpkin Pie 3 - Made with 3 whole large eggs

This recipe is: gluten-free, no added white sugar, nut-free, can be dairy free, can be made paleo-friendly

Printer-friendly recipe: https://tinyurl.com/yaa8vc8n

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup grain-free starch = arrowroot starch, cassava flour, tapioca starch, or a gluten-free all-purpose baking mix (not paleo) - I used arrowroot starch
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (OR 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon + 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg + 1/2 teaspoon cloves)
• pinch salt
• 3 large eggs
• 3/4 cup "milk" =  half & half, coconut milk, or almond milk, or even canned dairy milk - I used half & half
• 1/2 cup sweetener = maple syrup or honey - I used maple syrup
• 1 (15 oz.) can canned pumpkin 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Grease a 9" pie pan and set aside. 
3. IF MIXING BY HAND: 
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the grain-free starch of choice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Whisk until thoroughly combined. 
5. On top of dry ingredients add in eggs, milk of choice, and maple syrup or honey. Again, whisk together until all ingredients are well incorporated and smooth. 
6. Lastly whisk in canned pumpkin. Continue to whisk until very smooth and well blended. 
7. IF USING VITAMIX OR HIGH-POWERED BLENDER: 
8. Add all wet ingredients into blender: eggs, milk of choice, maple syrup or honey, and pumpkin. Blend on high or medium setting for a minute or so, until well incorporated. 
9. Add in dry ingredients: grain-free flour of choice, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Blend again on high or medium setting for another minute or so, until well blended and very creamy and smooth. 
10. TO BAKE: 
11. Pour pumpkin pie batter into the greased 9" pie pan, fill pan until it reaches edge. Do not overfill, you can always make pumpkin pie cupcakes with leftover batter!! 
12. Place pie pan on top of a baking sheet, just in case the pie spills over while baking. 
13. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees. 
14. Turn oven down to 350 degrees and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the center of the pie is no longer "jiggly" or a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. 
15. Let cool 20-30 minutes or longer. Serve with whipped topping or whipped cream if tolerated. 

Kitchen Notes: 

• Impossible/Crustless Paleo Pumpkin Pie 1 - Note that this recipe calls for added baking powder, while the others do not. Since this recipe is made around using egg yolks as part of the fat and as a binder, it could end up a bit dense since egg yolks do not do much in the leavening department. Baking powder helps make this pie less dense than it would be otherwise. However, if you want to make the pie FULLY paleo, leave out the baking powder, it will just be a bit more dense. Need something to do with all those extra egg-whites and you're not making Pumpkin Pie #2 here? Check out this post!

• Impossible/Crustless Pumpkin Pie 2 - In a similar vein, as the first pie can be dense without egg whites, this pie, is more fluffy and almost has more of a cake-like appearance than the yolk pie. I wanted to make this pie for myself, because I didn't know what else to do with 6 egg whites! (AND I love, I mean LOVE pumpkin pie!) Although this post has a ton of great uses for extra egg whites! Need to figure out what to do with extra egg YOLKS? Check out this post! Personally I like to just add them to the next morning's scrambled eggs! 

• Need a vegan, gluten-free crustless pumpkin pie? I'll share these again because they are so pretty and so good! Try Susan Voison's version on her fabulous blog, Fat Free Vegan or Cheryl Harris' GF Vegan Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Pie.  

• DO NOT OVERFILL YOUR PIE PAN!! If you have leftover pumpkin pie batter/filling - and you probably will, I always do whether I'm using a crust or not... you can make pumpkin pie "cupcakes". Line a cupcake pan with liners, spritz the liners with non-stick spray, and then fill the liners 1/2 to 3/4 full with pumpkin pie batter/filling. If you want to make the tops pretty, add the half of a toasted pecan on top of each "cupcake". Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Serve with a big ol' dollop of whipped cream or whipped coconut cream. This is such a cute & fun dessert for kids on Thanksgiving! 

Have a great November ya'll!! 

To share your comments, questions or thoughts about this recipe, please visit me on the GLG Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Gingerlemongirlblog 

Small batch gluten-free waffles & gluten-free "bread"

An audio version of this post: 

Hi. Hola!

Wow, it's been a while. Is there an official method of brushing away the cobwebs of an old food blog? 

Things have changed so much since I first started food blogging in 2007. The world is different. Smaller in some ways. Tiktok videos are far more shared and far far more popular than food blogs. (Maybe one day I'll sign up for an account!) Gluten-free is undeniably easier, even if when I buy various gluten-free foods now, I'm masked and moving through the store as quickly as I can. 

I got my masters in library science. I've been working as a medical librarian for a nursing school for the past two and a half years and I love it. We still have way too many cats (and we're okay with that). I've been learning español via Duolingo and I love learning new words and picking up phrases that I overhear. And I lost my dad to COVID in late December of 2020. And that moment changed my life forever. And I didn't cook (or do much of anything) for a very, very long time. Then sadly, five months later Michael's dad passed away unexpectedly as well. To say we've had a bad few year is seriously beyond an understatement. 

Grief is a strange friend. Sometimes awful. Sometimes amusing. Always close by and always quick to surprise. Sometimes it is a reminder that you have been (and still are) deeply, deeply loved. But I'll save those stories for another day. 

In the past few months, slowly, I have started cooking again. Maybe more importantly though, I've started to find joy in cooking again. And that has been a gift. A much needed gift. 

These quick, easy, and cheap gluten-free waffles have been a mainstay for the past month. I use them for breakfast sandwiches. I use them as "bread" with soups or salads. I even use them as "toast" to eat with breakfast, they are great popped into the toaster. And occasionally I will even actually eat them as waffles with butter and maple syrup. They are cheaper than both frozen gluten-free store bought waffles and gluten-free store bought bread. And they actually taste better. They're crispy on the outside when they're hot, and become a soft sandwich bread when they're reheated. 

If you're like me, you've discovered 1-to-1/cup4cup gluten-free flours. Gluten-free flour blends that are meant to act just like regular, plain, refined, wheat flour. I've used several different brands. I don't have a particular favorite. They all seem to work well so I just buy whatever is cheapest either online or now at local grocery stores (which still boggles my mind since this was NOT possible in 2007!!) So use whichever brand you prefer. 

Small Batch, Easy Gluten-Free Waffles & Quick Bread

Gluten-free, dairy-free, no added sugar

Makes 4-5 small waffles

Dry Ingredients:

1/2 cup gluten-free 1-to-1/cup4cup all purpose baking flour (should contain xanthan gum)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients: 

1 large egg

1/2 cup non-dairy milk 

1 tbsp. preferred oil, melted butter, or coconut oil

Directions: 

1. Preheat waffle maker, per machine instructions. 
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. 
3. Add egg, non-dairy milk, and preferred oil to the well in the center of dry ingredients. Mix with a fork or a stick blender until there are no lumps. 
4. Let batter rest for 5 minutes, it will thicken slightly as it rests. 
5. Pour batter (about 2 tablespoons per waffle) into waffle iron and cook according to machine directions. My small waffle iron makes 2 Belgium-style waffles at one time, and takes about 5 minutes per batch.)
6. Remove waffles from iron and allow to cool for a few minutes. 
7. Eat however you want them... as toast with butter, as waffles with butter & syrup, or just as a hot slice of crispy gluten-free bread. 

Kitchen Notes: 

• Non-Stick Spray (don't use it on a non-stick iron!) - My waffle iron is non-stick. After making this recipe countless times, I realized that the waffles WILL NOT get very crispy if you use non-stick cooking spray on the iron. The waffles DON'T STICK even without using cooking spray on my non-stick pan, which makes cleaning a breeze. 
• Eggs: I have not tried this using egg substitutes so I have no idea how it would work. Sorry. 
• Gluten-Free 1-to-1/cup4cup all purpose baking flours - I have used Bob's Red Mill brand, the Cup4Cup brand, the King Arthur Measure for Measure brand, and a couple that I'm not even sure what brand they were... but ALL of them have worked with this recipe. So I'm pretty sure whatever brand you use will work.
• Sweet Waffles: Many of the recipes I originally tried for gluten-free waffles called for adding vanilla and sugar to the dough. Sometimes cinnamon. All of these options are fine, they make for a good waffle... however, I really like this plain waffle because it's SO versatile not just as a waffle, but as a quick & easy gluten-free bread. If you want to try a sweeter waffle add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 tablespoon of sugar. 
  
• Doubling & Tripling the recipe: I've done both, multiple times... it always works. Sometimes on Sundays I'll make a triple batch and end up with about 16 waffles to use as bread all week. I also make them ahead of time to make breakfast sandwiches for traveling. 
• Cost: No, I haven't done a real cost analysis... but generally I pay about $12 for a 4 pound bag of this all-purpose flour and I can't imagine how many waffles that bag will make. A lot. A box of GF waffles from the grocery store can be anywhere from $5-$7 dollars depending on the brand. A loaf of GF bread from the grocery store will cost at least $7-$8 for one loaf. I promise you that even with the labor, cleaning (there's not much), additional ingredients, and electricity involved... these are cheaper, much cheaper. And easy. And honestly better than any brand of bread I've bought! 

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Small Batch Peach Scones from In Jenny's Kitchen

The first recipe I ever tried from Jenny was peanut butter pie. Her husband had passed away and she was trying to find ways to honor his memory. So we made peanut butter pie. His favorite.

I've followed Jenny's journey through the past few years and I admire her resilience, tenacity, and willingness to share her personal struggles. I also love her writing style. One day, when her daughters are older, I believe they will treasure the love she has so beautifully penned through the trials and transitions in their lives after the death of their father.

Scones have been a hot topic among my foodie co-workers lately. Kerry and Elizabeth have both been gushing over a recipe for whole wheat ricotta scones shared from Smitten Kitchen several years ago. So when Jenny shared a small batch recipe for peach scones last week, I really wanted to try them.  I love that the recipe is for a small batch. There are only two humans in our immediate family  (yep, the furrbabies are absolutely family)... and Michael isn't a huge baked goods fan (unless it's chocolate cake, brownies, or his favorite chocolate chip cookies!)... so when I find a small batch recipe, it's a great option for us!

Peaches are in season right now and I just happened to find a few perfectly ripe ones at the grocery store this morning. I made Jenny's recipe with a few basic adjustments to what I had on hand... and of course, made gluten-free.

Small Batch Peach Scones
Slightly Adapted from In Jenny's Kitchen
Makes 4 large scones
Gluten-Free, Vegetarian

• 1 peach, peeled & cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
• 1 cup Bob's Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, plus extra for shaping
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cold butter or shortening, cut into small bits
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon sour cream or heavy cream 
• Additional sugar for sprinkling on top

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the peach cubes in a small baking dish and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar. Roast the peaches for 10 minutes until they are fragrant and a bit jammy. 
2.  In a medium bowl whisk together 1/4 cup sugar, the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt. 
3. Cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a fork or a pastry/dough blender. 
4. In a smaller bowl, mix together the egg yolk and sour cream or heavy cream. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix into a sticky dough. If your dough is too dry and crumbly, add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until it's a shape-able dough. 
5. Add the roasted peaches and mix evenly through the dough. 
6. Sprinkle additional gluten-free flour onto a board or parchment paper and pour the dough out onto the floured surface. 
7. Shape the dough into a thick circle or a really large biscuit. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 4 scones. 
8. Place the 4 scones onto a greased or parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the scones with the additional sugar, if you have large grained natural cane sugar all the better, but plain sugar is fine too. 
9. Bake for 12-14 minutes until golden brown and eat warm :-) Enjoy!