{recipe review} heather's oaties

One of my favorite food/healthy living bloggers is Heather of Heather Eats Almond Butter. She likes healthy foods, she thinks butter is a good thing (oh thank you Heather), and she loves her oatbran & oats... just like me!

It's her constant journaling of healthy dinners made of greens, grass-fed beef, and fresh vegetables that inspires me on nights when I can't think of anything to make.

Another thing I love about Heather is her sweet tooth... and how she somehow manages to make dessert recipes with healthy things like rolled oats... and they are AMAZING. These little cookies are a variation of Heather's Butterfied Oaties ( for those who are wondering about the dairy thing -- while I cannot digest most types of dairy -- milk, yogurt, ice-cream, sour cream, etc... I can handle small amounts of buttah and I feel like it's a much better alternative than margarine).

I LOVE these little cookies. I've kept them at work as a snack throughout the day. They are crunchy, buttery, just sweet & salty enough! IT's a great combination and such an awesome way to make a healthy snack. Sure, as all snacks they need to be eaten in moderation... but they are really easy, egg-free, delicious chocolate-y snacks!!

Check out Heather's other varieties of Oaties and let me know what you think! Please make them!

yes, I'll have some chocolate with my breakfast...

One of my favorite breakfasts lately is baked oatmeal made in the slow cooker and then topped with a square of 85% dark chocolate and 2 tablespoons of peanut butter or almond butter.

To make baked oatmeal in the slow cooker simply mix it up as directed in the recipe. Then place the batter in a greased slow cooker insert, I use my 2.5 quart slow cooker. Cook on high for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 hours OR cook on low for 4-6 hours -- until the edges of the crust are golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

I cut the baked oatmeal into about 5 equal servings and refrigerate them. Then I can take an individual serving to work each day, heat it for a minute or two in the microwave and add the toppings. Easy, delicious, with some healthy protein & chocolate. Because chocolate is healthy you know. It is!

wordless wednesday - missing fall in the mountains

Gluten Free Baking *101* E-Cookbook

 

This little book has been a long time in the making!  Several years ago I started teaching a basic gluten free baking class out of my home and I created this instructional cookbook as the teaching material. 

It's been through quite a few revisions now and instead of only having about 6 basic recipes, it's been revised to contain 24 recipes. Many of these recipes are my favorites here on the blog, but quite a few are brand new recipes that I've both created & adapted to the gluten free/casein free/soy free diet. While this book does not contain hundreds of recipes, I believe the selections here will be some of the most useful recipes for everyday gluten free baking in your kitchen. 

I told my husband a few months ago, that out of all the gluten free cookbooks I had in my kitchen, my printed copy of Gluten Free Baking *101* was the cookbook I used most often for my own baking. That was surprising to me and I wondered if a simple gluten free recipe book with basic, reliable recipes would be just as useful to others. I feel confident that you too will come to rely on this small collection of exceptional gluten free recipes!

A few highlights from the book: 

• Most of the recipes contained in this book rely on my favorite gluten free flours: brown rice flour, sorghum flour, and arrowroot starch. 
• The recipes are easy to follow and budget-friendly.  
• The  beginning chapter gives you background information on ingredients, teaches you how to prevent cross-contamination in your kitchen, and how to create your own gluten free flour mixes. 
• Includes recipes for our favorite chocolate chip cookies, my Dad's best pancakes, the Gluten Free Master Baking Mix -- along with 6 additional Master Mix recipes, a brand NEW and EASY recipe for gluten free sandwich bread,  and many others!

I'm proud of this little book, I've worked hard on it and I'm now happy that I can share it with you. I hope these recipes are as helpful to you as they have been to my family.

You can find this e-book in my "store" located at the top of my page -- http://gingerlemongirl.blogspot.com/p/store.html, along with ordering it from clicking on the pictures above and below.

 Ginger Lemon Girl's Gluten Free Baking *101* E-book

By: Carrie S. Forbes

A basic gluten free instructional cookbook including 24 of Carrie's favorite gluten free recipes.

This cookbook contains many of the best & most used recipes from here on GingerLemonGirl.com, along with additional brand new recipes that are not available on the website. 

$12.00 USD
NOW only $8.49 USD

Click below to purchase.

E-book will be sent as a PDF file to your email within 24 hours of ordering.

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=5UNJKUDYLU3Z6

gluten free blueberry cobbler recipe

Keeping a big batch of gluten free master baking mix in the cabinet is really helpful. On Saturday, I had a partial container of blueberries that were way past their prime, along with a bag of frozen blueberries that I really needed to use up.

My friend Heather A. came to me a few months ago with an old recipe for blueberry cobbler she had when she was growing up. She wanted to make it gluten free. I don't remember ever really talking about what she should use to make it... so she figured out how to make it gluten free all on her own. Several days later she & her husband met us for dinner at a local restaurant and she brought along her homemade blueberry cobbler. I hadn't had a cobbler like this in ages... with a crusty, cinnamon-y biscuit crust and a wonderfully rich, purple, and just-sweet-enough, blueberry filling. It was delicious.  Between the four of us we completely devoured that cobbler and probably could have eaten another one! Soon after I tried to make the cobbler at home... I added more ingredients, changed things a bit... and it just wasn't as good. Heather was right... keeping it simple was the key to this awesome cobbler.

Saturday when I decided to make the cobbler again I wanted to use my Master Baking Mix. I realized this made making a gluten free version even easier... and it made a darn good casserole. I think even Heather would approve!

Heather's Gluten Free Blueberry Cobbler
adapted by Carrie at gingerlemongirl.com
free of gluten, dairy/casein, eggs, and soy
printer-friendly recipe

Batter Ingredients:
1 cup Gluten Free Master Baking Mix (or gluten free Bisquick)
1/3 cup almond milk
2 tablespoons sugar

Filling Ingredients:
3/4 cup water
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch -or- arrowroot starch
3 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tbsp. butter -or- coconut oil -or- non-stick cooking spray

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a small casserole dish and set aside. In a small bowl mix together the gluten free master baking mix, almond milk and 2 tablespoons of sugar until you have a thick batter. Set aside. In a small saucepan add water, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch. Mix or whisk together and cook over high heat, stirring constantly until boiling. Allow to boil for 1 minute. The cornstarch/water mixture will turn translucent and thicken. Remove from heat and add blueberries.  Pour blueberry filling into the greased baking dish. Drop the master mix batter by tablespoons on top of the blueberry filling and use a fork to spread evenly over the casserole. It doesn't have to be perfectly covered. Mix cinnamon and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Dot with butter, coconut oil, or spritz the top of the casserole with non-stick cooking spray (this will help the casserole to brown). Bake for 25-30 minutes until the top of the casserole is golden brown and the blueberry filling is bubbling around the edges. If your casserole dish is too small, you may want to place a cookie sheet underneath the dish to keep it from spilling over in your oven. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes before serving. Serve as is or at room temperature... serve with ice-cream, whipped cream... or my favorite -- just plain the way it is! Enjoy!

this week's menu - back to school

I made a big batch of Master Mix on Saturday and baked all day! I made blueberry cobbler (I'll share that recipe this week!), brownies, muffins, cookies, etc... most of these treats went to a local college student in town who has celiac disease. I can't imagine how hard it would be to follow a GF diet when you live in a dorm room, you're far away from your family, don't have a kitchen, have to eat in so many social situations, etc... Just to see him go "oh wow" when I handed over the big paper gift bag of safe gluten free baked goods was completely worth it!

See if you can find out about a local celiac college student or high school student in your area.. make them some brownies, deliver them personally... and treasure the smile you'll get back!

Many schools in our area are starting back this week. The stores have been packed with parents picking up school supplies and new backpacks... I overheard a mom at Walmart on Saturday night reminding her daughter they needed Clorox wipes and cotton balls... I just smiled. I remember those days. It was also a reminder to me to pick up a few supplies to donate to a local school. Teachers spend so much out of their own pockets... it's always a good idea to lend them a hand when we can this time of year!

Breakfasts & Snacks This Week:  Potluck at work on Monday, Chocolate Hemp shakes, scrambled eggs, blueberry muffins, oatmeal or oatbran with almond butter swirled in, celery with peanut butter, rice cakes with peanut butter, etc...

Dinners This Week: 

• Monday - Roast Beef with steamed butternut squash & apples, green beans
• Tuesday - GF sandwich night and/or homemade salads
• Wednesday - Fresh summer  GF pasta salad (using Tinkyada pasta) with grilled chicken
• Thursday - Cheryl's sniffle stew (I've become a huge soup/stew fan lately...seems ironic in the summer! lol) 
• Friday - Homemade almond flour GF pizza with salad
• Saturday - Pan-grilled cod with steamed broccoli
• Sunday - Tacos with black beans, tomatoes, and avocados

giveaway - gluten free on a shoestring cookbook

Every now and then you meet someone who really "gets" you. Nicole Hunn is one of those people for me. She's spunky, quirky, has a keen sense of humor, is not afraid of being honest, a beautiful smile, and she knows how to pinch a penny. Nicole and I have a very similar ideas about being gluten free on a budget. We have different ways of saving money, we each have our own favorite gluten free flours... but we know all about living within in our means -- or at least trying too!

Nicole's cookbook, Gluten Free on a Shoestring (named after her amazing blog), was published in February of this year and I must say it's been a smash hit! What I love about Nicole is her honesty. She's a home cook. She isn't a fancy restaurant chef. She's not trying to impress anybody... she just wants you to be comfortable and happy making gluten free meals that your whole family will love. She wants you to know you don't have to leave your old comfort foods behind. Nicole's book is packed with recipes like pizza dough, cheese crackers, plain bagels, macaroni and cheese, meat"love", and chicken pot pie. Desserts like yellow cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and apple pie.  These are the foods that people like me love, remember, and want again. I just want to make food that will make people happy. I'm really not interested in fancy. I'm not interested in expensive ingredients. I just want to make food that smiles and makes people ask for seconds!

Nicole does that for you. She makes it easy. She goes a step further than even I do, by showing you how to make all these amazing things with one gluten free flour mix. I choose to use a blend of  2/3 whole grains & 1/3 starches simply because that works better for my gluten & sugar intolerant body... but for most gluten free folks these recipes using Nicole's favorite Better Batter flour will be a saving grace.

And I have a special copy just for one of you! A beautiful, brand new signed copy of Nicole's amazing book!

Would you like a copy?

Simply check out the table of contents in Nicole's book. Leave me a comment here on the blog and tell me what the first recipe is that you would make and why. Then, if you'd like to have an additional entry, tell your friends on facebook or twitter about Nicole, or about her book, or about my blog and this giveaway -- then leave me another comment here on the blog and let me know how & where you shared!

This contest will be open through Friday August 26th at midnight. I'll announce the winner here on the blog on Saturday August 27th.

Now get cooking!

Reader Favorites - Sara P.'s Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake

Here's a recent letter from one of my readers. I've been meaning to try this cake from Sara P. for several months and I haven't gotten a chance. This is Sara's version of a flourless chocolate cake with NO added fats and less eggs than most recipes like this call for. I love that this recipe is lower in fat AND sugar than most gluten free, flourless chocolate cakes. If you try Sara's cake, please share with us what you think and send me a picture!

"All the recipes I have tried on your site have been lovely. It's made gluten free baking a lot more pleasant and you helped me to get to know my gluten free flours better and how to use them for a pleasing end result. I'd like to share with you my latest recipe. It's an adaption of the flourless chocolate cake to make it more healthy and I do believe it has a lot of options for flavors too. Such as white chocolate with grated lime peel as just one such example." 

Sara P.'s Flourless Chocolate Cake

free of gluten, dairy/casein, grains, and soy

printer-friendly recipe 

4 oz dark or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup apple sauce or other fruit puree
3/4 cup sugar or splenda depending on dietary needs
3 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder

• Preheat oven to 375 
• Chop chocolate and mix it with applesauce, melt in microwave safe bowl and mix until lumps are gone. 30 seconds at a time. 
• Whisk in sugar and eggs. 
• Whisk in cocoa powder a little at a time until smooth. 
• Prepare 8-9" baking pan by lightly oiling it. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom and lightly oil it as well. 
• Pour in batter and bake 25 minutes. 
• Cool 5 minutes then invert on serving plate. 

Notes from Sara P: 

1. Top with ganache or any other toppings of desire or just eat plain, it's fantastic.
2. Nice thing about this recipe is it doesn't take any expensive or unusual ingredients and by varying out the chocolate with other baking chips, I do believe a host of flavors could be achieved. I haven't tried yet though. It's on my to do list. 
3. I also believe a variety of mix ins could really make the difference in flavors with this cake. 
4. Even with the sugar and whole eggs at 9 servings it's still only 160 calories a slice. It'd be easily adaptable for diabetics.

wordless wednesday - zumba crew

After my second attempt at Zumba.... taught by the infamous Sue O'Lear of  "Did I just eat that outloud" fame! Her family joined her, the guy in the yellow is her "trophy husband" and she claims the two kiddos in front. :-)  I kinda invited myself to go with my awesome friend (aka work partner in crime) Jennifer of AGirlWhoLovesCupcakes (along with her husband) because I wanted to meet all of her friends, including Alan of Sweating Until Happy, Bryan, and of course Sue & her family. Thankfully, I don't think they minded me joining in their workout!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Peanut Butter Pie for Jennie & Mikey

Yesterday I read the news of Jennie's husband on Gluten Free Girl. I sat at my desk at work and cried. I don't even know Jennie. To be honest I had only read her blog a handful of times, but to read Shauna's description of her amazing friends and then to hear how the life of Jennie's husband Mikey had ended so suddenly, so unavoidably... my heart simply broke for her. 

One reason this hit so close to home for me is that my own husband is a "Mikey"... to see her husband dancing with his daughter, to read Jennie's tribute to her Mikey... it made me stop and call my husband immediately to let him know how much I loved him. 

Then I read these words in Jennie's post, "...I kept telling myself I would make it (peanut butter pie) for him tomorrow. Time has suddenly stood still, though, and I'm waiting to wake up and learn to live a new kind of normal. For those asking what they can do to help my healing process, make a peanut butter pie this Friday and share it with someone you love. Then hug them like there's no tomorrow because today is the only guarantee we can count on."

So I made a peanut butter pie. Because it was what I could do. 

And this weekend I am also making chocolate chip cookies for my Michael. I've promised him the past few months I would make those cookies, his very favorite... and I haven't. I've forgotten. I've been too busy. I haven't made time. And it is now time to change that pattern.... this man I love who makes so few requests... the least I can do is make him a batch of chocolate chip cookies to show him how much I love him. 

In memory of Mikey and to honor sweet Jennie and her children, here is a peanut butter pie. If only there was more I could do... 

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Creamy Peanut Butter Pie

free of gluten, dairy, soy, and eggs

created by Carrie Forbes

printer-friendly recipe

makes one 9" pie

Crust Ingredients:

1 cup crushed gluten free cookie crumbs (I used Enjoy Life Vanilla Graham Cookies)

1 tbsp. cocoa powder (omit, if using gluten free chocolate cookies)

2 tbsp. palm shortening

Pie Ingredients:

1 cup creamy natural peanut butter
1 (13.5 oz) can coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons chia seeds mixed with 1/3 cup hot water, set aside for a few minutes to gel

To make the chocolate crust: Mix crushed gluten free cookie crumbs with the cocoa power. Cut in the palm shortening and mix with a fork or with your fingers until the crumbs stick together slightly. Pour the crumbly mixture into a glass pie pan and press into the pan until it evenly covers the bottoms and the sides. Set aside.

To make peanut butter filling:  A) If you have a high powered blender like a vitamix or blendtec, add all ingredients to the blender and blend on high for several minutes until thoroughly combined and super creamy. Pour into pie crust. Top with chocolate chips if desired and place in refrigerator for several hours to set. B) For a "regular" ol' blender, add the chia seeds mixed with water to the blender and blend on high until the mixture has been thoroughly pureed. Pour pureed chia seeds & water into a large bowl and whisk in the peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and coconut milk. Whisk together until super creamy. Pour into pie pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top if desired and then place in refrigerator for several hours to set before serving.

Carrie's Notes: In hindsite to make this again in my vitamix I would first puree the chia seed/water mixture then add the coconut milk, blending again on high and finally adding the peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla... this is a very THICK batter and I had to blend it on high using the tamper consistantly to blend the ingredients well! But this pie is so worth the effort! Tamper away and enjoy this awesome, vegan pie! 

{Gluten Free Review} Nutiva Chocolate Hemp Shakes

Here's my favorite summer, on-the-run-breakfast that's been featured in at least a dozen of my gluten free menu plans! I started buying Nutiva Chocolate Hemp Shake back in February when my nutritionist Cheryl, recommend I try them. I had been using a rice protein shake for breakfasts and while the shake contained a lot of vitamins & minerals, it had very little fiber or protein.

Fiber & protein in the right proportions are vital to keeping you full and sustaining you until your next meal. I rely on this shake, boiled eggs, celery w/ peanut butter or almond butter, etc. If I don't have a breakfast with a significant amount of protein (anywhere from 9-20 grams) I'm usually hungry again within 30 minutes.

I love the flavor & consistency of the Nutiva chocolate shake , although I don't follow the directions on the bottle. The bottle says to mix 30 grams powder with only 8 oz. of milk -- I tried that, but it was WAY too thick for my taste. I mix 16-20 oz. of unsweetened almond milk with about 30 grams (about 3 tablespoons) of the chocolate shake powder. I also throw in ice-cubes and sometimes a swirl of chocolate syrup.

I don't have time in the mornings to clean my Vitamix.. so I found these awesome blender bottles that have a wire ball inside of them to help really mix the shake powder with the milk. It works SO much better than mixing in a regular shake container! It does take a good bit of shaking to mix the power thoroughly into the milk... but it's worth the effort. The blender bottles are also BPA free and are super easy to wash, even at work!

Nutiva is an expensive protein shake... but I think for the healthy ingredients it's worth the cost.

Do you have a favorite gluten free protein shake?

Reader Favorites - Carol's Gluten Free, Mostly Grain Free Heath Bar Cookies Recipe

Photo courtesy of Elise Bauer author of Simply Recipes.

Carol B. sent in today's recipe for gluten free Heath Bar cookies. She said her husband absolutely loved "regular" Heath Bar cookies and she wanted to make a gluten free version for herself. Carol's recipe uses almond flour as the base, so they may not look exactly like Elise's "wheat" flour version of Heath Bar cookies in the picture above, but I'm SURE they are just as tasty!

Using almond flour in gluten free baking is such a great alternative to wheat. It's so easy to use and you only have to keep one flour on hand for your baking. Plus, it's a low glycemic, high protein flour, so it's easier on your blood sugar. However Carol's recipe does contain a lot of sugar... so it's definitely not a health food! Make these cookies on special occasions and really enjoy them! For all the leftover almond flour you have, here are a few of my favorite almond flour recipes.

Have you made Carol's cookies? Send me a picture! Do you have a favorite family recipe you'd like to share on Gingerlemongirl! Email me and let me know the story behind your recipe and how you've made it gluten free! Carol, thank you for sharing your awesome recipe with me! I love using almond flour in gluten free baking.

Carol B.'s Gluten Free (Mostly Grain Free) Heath Bar Cookies
free of gluten, dairy, and soy (and mostly grain free)
printer-friendly version

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup organic 10x (confectioners) sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 to 2 1/2 cups almond flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 frozen Heath Bars - smashed to smithereens

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a large baking/cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside. In a large bowl cream the butter, all three varieties of sugar and mix with the vanilla and egg. Stir in the almond flour and salt. Fold in the broken Heath Bar bits. Drop the batter by tablespoons onto the parchment covered baking sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes at 350 degrees until the cookies are golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from parchment paper. Store in an airtight container on the counter.

Carol’s Notes:

• For those sensitive to tapioca starch or cornstarch, please be aware that most 10x confectioners sugar does contain one or the other of these starches -- also, the cookies will not be completely grain free if the sugar contains cornstarch. 
• Sometimes Carol uses “vanilla sugar” instead of adding in vanilla -- which means she makes sugar that has been mixed with the scrapings of a vanilla bean -- this makes the sugar very flavorful and super “vanilla-y.”

wordless wednesday - man to man

Watching Michael work side-by-side with his Daddy simply warms my heart. 

How to keep a box of raisins fresh

Up until a few years ago I was a serious raisin hater. Didn't want them in cookies, didn't want them on my salad, didn't want them plain, didn't want them in fruit cake... raisins = blah. Somewhere in the past two years my brain decided to like raisins. Don't ask me why. Maybe adults have to like raisins (is it in the manual I never received?)... I haven't figured it out. But now, I like 'em. I'll toss them in my oatmeal, add them to a salad, definitely eat them in cookies, and now I really want to make Laura's caramel raisin pudding.

I started buying these large containers of raisins last winter when I made oatmeal on a daily basis for breakfast. But I quickly learned once you open the box of raisins they DRY out fast. And nobody wants a SUPER dried out, icky raisin. Trust me, they aren't tasty.

So a few months ago when I bought another box of raisins I figured something out. If I put them in ziplock baggies they stayed fresh. Duh.

But to keep the whole box SUPER fresh, I divide the raisins into 4 ziplock baggies. Squeeze all the air out of the baggies and zip them closed.

At this point (if sticky stuff weirds you out like it does moi) you might want to wash out the raisin box, since it will have sticky raisin residue on it. Then stuff in the four baggies of raisins. That way you only have to open 1/4 of the "box" of raisins at a time and all the remaining raisins will stay super fresh until you need them.

You're welcome. Now go make some of Karina's oatmeal raisin cookies. Clara swears by them!

Now you won't have to spend sleepless nights worrying over super dried out raisins. I'm glad I could help. :-P

This Week's Menu - Working the Plan

So last week, with Cheryl's encouragement I made a plan to exercise along with my meal plan. I'm happy to say that I exercised 4 days last week and I'm very proud of that progress! Having a designated plan for my workouts really did make a big difference. I hope to have the same success this week! I didn't lose any weight, but I'm actually taking a break from the scale for a while. I think I can become number obsessed...and right now it's more important for me to make exercise a priority than worry about the numbers.

Last week I also mentioned that I was going to make my baked oatmeal in the slow cooker to have a prepared breakfast. A few people asked for better directions on how to do that. Here's what you do: Mix up the baked oatmeal batter as directed. Grease the inside of a stoneware insert of a small 3-4 qt. slow cooker. Pour the oatmeal batter into the slow cooker insert. Cook on HIGH for 2-3 hours or low for 4-5 hours. The top will not get super brown, but the sides should become crisp & golden and the baked oatmeal will be firm all the way through. It's a super easy way to prepare the dish without using your oven.

The meal plan this week is similar to past weeks. I'm relying on easy meals to make sure I can make it to the gym or get my exercise in at home. Lunch, as always, is planned leftovers (meaning, I generally try to make enough food at dinner to ensure we have lunches the next day.)

Breakfasts & Snacks This Week: 

• Chocolate hemp shakes
• celery w/ peanut butter or almond butter
• rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter
• boiled eggs
• ham & turkey rolls
• mixed nuts
• baked oatmeal with added raisins, ground flax seeds, and sliced almonds

Dinners This Week: 

• Monday - Sauteed turkey sausage with red & orange peppers & broccoli
• Tuesday - GF sandwiches OR cereal night
• Wednesday - Breakfast for dinner: scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, toast, and fruit
• Thursday - Ground turkey & quinoa skillet meal
• Friday - Homemade GF pizza with salad
• Saturday - Out to Eat, GF Support Group Meeting

What are you having? 

Workout Plan This Week: 

• Monday - 1 hour water aerobics class
• Tuesday - 1 hour with trainer
• Wednesday - 1 hour with trainer
• Thursday - 45 minutes/3 miles with Leslie Sansone DVD
• Friday - OFF
• Saturday - Jillian Michael's "frontside" workout for beginners (starting with a more basic workout, the Shred is KILLING me! lol)

Reader Favorites - Laura's Caramel Raisin Pudding Recipe

Every now and then I'll have a reader who is kind enough to send me a favorite family recipe. These cherished memories on faded & stained index cards and old envelopes mean so much to me. My favorite recipes at home are those written out by my great grandmother and saved in a small notebook. She clipped tons of newspaper recipes from the 30's - 60's and I have a lot of them. (Do not call Hoarders on me... you better not! lol)

To see Great-Grandma P's scribbled notes, the soft paper of recipes that were well used & loved... it's a wonderful memory of her. Reader Laura sent me a similar recipe not too long ago. She said that she remembered her mother & grandmother making the recipe and she now had the recipe on an old index card. She thought the recipe was probably from the 50's and it was still one of her favorite desserts and super easy to make gluten free. Laura used my master baking mix for the flour in this recipe and she said it tasted just like her grandmother had made it. You can't get a better compliment than that!

Do you have an old family recipe you would like to share? If you need help making it gluten free or just want to share it with my readers, please email me!

Laura's recipe uses an old technique to make a dessert pudding underneath a simple crust. A similar technique is used in this wonderful old chocolate cobbler recipe featured several months ago. If you make Laura's recipe and take a picture, please share it with me! Thank you so much for sharing some of your family memories with me Laura!

Laura's Caramel Raisin Pudding
free of gluten and soy
printer-friendly recipe

Pudding Ingredients:
2 cups water
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon butter or margarine
3/4 cup raisins

Batter Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup Master Baking Mix -or- gluten free bisquick
1/2 cup milk -or- non-dairy substitute

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To make the pudding: In a large saucepan mix together the water, brown sugar, and butter. Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Remove saucepan from heat and stir in raisins. Pour brown sugar/raisin mixture into a large greased baking dish. In another bowl mix together batter ingredients. Drop batter by tablespoons into the pudding. Bake for 30 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Serve warm. Especially good with ice-cream!

{Gluten Free Review} Enjoy Life Crunchy Cookies

A few weeks ago Enjoy Life contacted me again to see if I wanted to try one of their newest product lines, an allergen free crunchy cookie. They also have a line of "soft" gluten free, allergen free cookies and to be honest I don't really like most of them. They are a bit too soft, kind of mushy, and the flavor is odd.

So with a bit of hesitation we tried the crunchy cookies. They come in four flavors, Crunchy Sugar Crisp, Double Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip, and Vanilla Honey Graham. So far, Michael and I have tried the double chocolate chip and the sugar crisps. Michael loved the double chocolate chip. As a matter of fact, I had two cookies from the box... he ate the rest of them. These have a distinct "oreo" type flavor to them and they are definitely crunchy & crisp. We loved them. The other flavor we've tried are the sugar crisps. I really like these a lot. Michael hasn't tried them because they don't have chocolate in them. However, my vanilla loving self has really enjoyed the crispness and flavor of these cookies. I would definitely buy either of these two flavors. I don't know what the retail prices for the cookies are (most likely, much more expensive than you would pay for a box of Chips Ahoy)... but I'd probably pay up to $5 a box.

These are very tasty cookies, but don't expect health food here. After a gluten free flour mix, the 2nd ingredient in nearly all of these cookies is evaporated cane juice (that sneaky "healthy" name for sugar). The serving size is 2 cookies and they average 110 calories a serving. So be mindful of your serving. I have to say, while I generally could eat a whole box of anything sugary and crunchy, I am satisfied after eating 1 or 2 of these cookies. They have a great crunch and a satisfying sweetness.

A few other products by Enjoy Life that I like quite a bit: their new chocolate granola and their allergen free chocolate chips & chunks!

To make the lawyers happy: These cookies were provided to me free of charge from Enjoy Life for review on my blog. I was not paid or endorsed for this review. My unbiased opinion of these cookies were not in any way influenced by the Enjoy Life company.

wordless wednesday - maya's perfect balance

This picture of Maya completely cracks me up. Apparently some furry animal in our household almost knocked this kitchen chair over, so it's teetering between the floor and the upright laundry basket...and Maya decided that the clean towel sitting on the balanced chair would make the perfect place to sit. How it didn't fall over, I will never know... :-) I love cats!

Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Teabread/Muffins Recipe

On an outing with a good friend on Friday afternoon I found a "Breadman" bread maker at a favorite thrift store. It's an older model and by looks alone, I think it had barely been used. For $6, I figured it wasn't a bad investment if it worked. I washed the machine out thoroughly with hot, soapy water and attempted a gluten free loaf. It worked great for the sandwich bread! I couldn't find a full operating manual online, so I'm still playing around with the machine to see what the best cycle will be for my gluten free sandwich bread. I'm also trying to tweak a few recipes so I can come up with a gluten free "bread machine" recipe for you that works really well.

But I also wanted to prove that I could use this kitchen appliance for more than just one thing! I have an extremely tiny kitchen with barely any counter space -OR- cabinets.... so for this appliance to earn a spot, I have to be able to use it for a variety of different recipes! My husband suggested making cake. :-) He's a smart man.

Instead of cake, I decided to go on a healthier route and try a "teabread" -- I don't really know what signifies a teabread from a quick bread from a cake... but I liked the sound of it. I attempted one recipe from this popular vegan cookbook... but it was a flop. The batter was very wet and it just didn't work well in the bread maker (it's probably a great recipe for an oven -- just not the bread maker!). So instead, I went back to baking with the gluten free flours I know and created my own recipe. This is a variation of my standard gluten free cake recipe and I love the texture of this bread. It's just lightly sweetened and the aroma of cinnamon while it was baking made me smile. This is a soft, unassuming bread that pairs perfectly with a cup of Earl Grey.


Gluten Free Cinnamon Raisin Teabread -or- Muffins Recipe
created by Carrie Forbes of www.gingerlemongirl.com on 8/1/2011
free of gluten, soy, dairy/casein, and rice
Printer-friendly recipe
Makes 1 small 8 1/2"  x 4  1/2" loaf, 12 muffins, or makes about a 1 lb. loaf in the bread maker.

Dry Ingredients:
⅔ cup sorghum -or- millet flour
⅓ cup arrowroot starch
⅓ cup garfava flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon xanthan gum

Wet Ingredients: 
½ - ¾ cup almond milk
¼ cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add In’s: 
½ cup raisins
⅓ cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

For OVEN: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan or line a muffin tin with paper liners. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl whisk together all wet ingredients, using ¾ cup of milk. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together until fully combined. Pour batter into loaf pan or into a lined 12 muffin tin. For loaf bake 25-35 minutes until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then slice & serve if in loaf pan. This lightly sweetened bread is delicious with a cup of hot tea!

For BREAD MAKER: I used my breadmaker to make this bread on Sunday. I mixed up the ingredients by hand because it’s a very easy recipe and poured the batter breadmaker loaf pan to bake only. Follow the above directions as for oven, except only use ½ cup milk in the wet ingredients. Use the “bake” cycle on your bread machine and bake for 40-50 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The first time you make this, check on the bread every 20 minutes or so just to make sure your breadmaker doesn’t bake hotter than mine does. Cool on a wire rack, then slice & serve. This lightly sweetened bread is delicious with a cup of hot tea!

Here was my first batch of gluten free sandwich bread straight from the bread machine. It was a really good bread. Once I get the measurements just right, I'll share the recipe with you! :-)

This Week's Menu with my first exercise plan

Had a great conversation with my nutritionist, Cheryl on Sunday morning. I shared that it can really be a challenge for me to fit in menu planning (and following it) ALONG with exercise into my daily routine and to do them both WELL. Cheryl suggested that maybe I should come up with an exercise plan along with my meal plan. That made a lot of sense to me. So my goals this week are to follow both plans as well as I can.

Our meals this week, like always, are simple. I don't have time to be a "chef" and fuss over fancy meals. I think that is why using the slow cooker really appeals to me. I love the idea you can toss ingredients into a pot, turn it on and 4-8 hours later there's a meal ready! No mess, no hassle, no fuss.

I'm hoping to make a "baked oatmeal" casserole in the slow cooker when I get home this afternoon so that I can have a ready made breakfast the rest of the week. I haven't had much success in making oatmeal dishes over night in the slow cooker (they always become a soggy, gooey, burned mess!) -- but I can throw something in to cook for two hours without any problems! :-)  Lunches this week (as always) are leftovers, sandwiches & fruit, or soup made in the slow cooker.

This Week's Snacks & Breakfast:

• chocolate hemp shakes
• baked oatmeal
• boiled eggs
• steamed veggies with rice
• celery with peanut butter or almond butter
• rice cakes with peanut butter or almond butter
• mixed nuts

This Week's Menu:

• Sunday - slow cooker rotisserie chicken, roasted potatoes, and steamed broccoli
• Monday - Heather's Chili (leftover from freezer)
• Tuesday - GF sandwiches (GF support group meeting tonight!)
• Wednesday - Salads with grilled chicken -OR- out to eat with our nephew
• Thursday - Breakfast for dinner (gluten free pancakes or toast, scrambled eggs, turkey bacon, fruit)
• Friday - Red & Ready Spaghetti with steamed broccoli or green beans
• Saturday - Slow cooker beef stew

This Week's Workout Schedule: 

GOAL this week -- work out at LEAST 3 times, and if all goes well, 5 times. 

• Monday - 45 minutes cardio = 15 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes ARC trainer, 10 minutes recumbent bike, 5 minutes row machine
• Tuesday - 45 minutes -- 3 mile walk with Leslie Sansone video
• Wednesday - 45 minute water aerobics class
• Thursday - 60 minute workout with trainer
• Saturday - 1-2 hour outdoor walk and/or 45 minute Leslie Sansone video