Review: Sprouted for Life Gluten-Free Vegan Flax Bread

Sprouted for Life: Gluten-Free Flax Bread

Food for Life graciously sent me two loaves of their newest breads to try. I don't accept many pitches for food reviews these days, as I've become rather picky. I want foods that really nourish my body in addition to being gluten-free and soy-free. I also want them to be plant-based, whole foods. I'd prefer as little added oils, sugar, and salt as possible. Which means most packaged products don't fit this criteria.

However, Food for Life has created a brand new line of healthy, hearty GLUTEN-FREE, VEGAN breads that are really good. Now if you're looking for plain white sandwich bread, don't buy this. I doubt this will appeal to children or those who do not enjoy breads with distinct texture. However in my gluten-eating days, I LOVED Ezekiel bread. I've always been a bit hippy dippy... and whole grain, sprouted Ezekiel bread was my favorite. I loved the dense, rich texture and the grainy goodness!

These two new gluten-free, vegan breads from Food for Life are wonderful. They are great toasted or just warmed in a pan or in the microwave.(I'm not sure I'd enjoy them straight from the package -- a bit dry for that).  I have enjoyed toasting two slices and loading them up with veggies and hummus, it makes a delicious sandwich. It's also great toasted and sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon for an evening treat. And the cinnamon raisin variety makes a killer peanut butter & jelly sandwich!

Sprouted for Life: Original 3 Seed Gluten Free Bread

I think one reason I always enjoyed the Ezekiel bread is I felt good about eating it. I felt like I was feeding my body well and enjoying whole and nourishing foods. And that's what I'm enjoying again. Having the convenience of a packaged food, yet also feeling like it's healthy and nourishing my body.

This bread would be excellent for stuffing, for a vegan toast on Sunday mornings, for individual pizzas, etc... I'm going to be asking one of my local stores if they can carry this for me. I'd love to be able to purchase it on a regular basis.

Another nice thing about this loaf, it's a NORMAL sized loaf of bread. It's not tiny, and the slices are actually big enough for a sandwich. Win. Win!

Were you a fan of hearty whole grain breads like Ezekiel before you went gluten-free? Why did you enjoy them? I have a feeling you'd miss them a lot less with this bread in your freezer! 

GLG Disclosure: 

The product samples were sent to me by Food for Life to review on my blog if I CHOSE to do so. 

This is NOT a sponsored post and I did NOT receive monetary compensation. 

The opinions in this post are completely my own.

Product Review: gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins

Product: gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins

Last week I received a big box of gardenlites™ Veggie Muffins to try. I was sent five different varieties (was rather blown away by that! I was expecting maybe 1 box! lol), and Michael and I have tried two of them so far. Since they were individually packaged, we took them with us to work for snacks and/or for breakfast. ALL of the muffins are gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free and soy-free, and are PACKED full of vegetables! What I really love (in addition to the allergen-free goodness) is that these muffins have 5 grams of fiber EACH, plus 3 grams of protein! 

They are low in sugar and the main ingredient in each muffin is a veggie! So far we have tried the Carrot Berry Muffins and the Blueberry Oat Muffins. Next on my list to try is the Zucchini Chocolate Veggie Muffins! The company doesn't necessary market the products as gluten-free, because they want them to be seen as a healthy baked item for all folks, not just the gluten-free crowd!  

To give you an example of the nutritional info (which you can also EASILY find on the gardenlites website - I love that!), here's what you'll find in the Carrot Berry Muffins, which are so far my favorite variety: 

Nutritional Info: 

• Calories: 120 for one muffin
• Total Fat: 2 grams
• Cholesterol: 20 milligrams
• Sodium: 250 milligrams
• Total Carbohydrates: 24 grams
• Dietary Fiber: 5 gram
• Sugars: 11 grams
• Protein: 3 grams

Ingredients (for the Carrot Berry Veggie Muffins):  
Carrot, Pasteurized Egg Whites, Pasteurized Whole Eggs, Evaporated Cane Juice, Brown Sugar, Soluble Corn Fiber, Corn Starch, Sorghum Flour, Brown Rice Flour, Canola Oil, Dried Cherries (cherries, rice flour), Dried Blueberries (blueberries, sugar, sunflower oil), Dried Cranberries (cranberries, rice flour, sugar, sunflower oil), Baking Powder (sodium acid pyrophosphate, sodium bicarbonate, corn starch, monocalcium phosphate), Potato Starch, Cinnamon, Salt, Vanilla Extract.

Other Current Flavors Include: 

• Golden Corn Veggie Muffins
• Zucchini Banana Chocolate Chip Veggie Muffins
• Zucchini Chocolate Veggie Muffins
• Blueberry Oat Veggie Muffins

Having these muffins in the freezer the past week has been a nice treat! When I needed a quick breakfast or snack, I grabbed one from the freezer. You can allow them to defrost on the counter or just pop them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to have a warm, "fresh-from-the-oven" tasting muffin!

I love that vegetables are the first ingredient in these gluten-free treats.  It can be pretty easy to incorporate fruits into other foods and baked goods, but vegetables can be a challenge. I think kids would really enjoy these muffins and they would be perfect for lunch boxes.

The muffins are quite moist and have a tender crumb. They are individually wrapped, which makes them very convenient. Also, for those concerned about the environment, they really don't have a lot of extra packaging which I really appreciated.
 
The gardenlites website is extremely consumer-friendly and easy to navigate and you can easily find where to purchase gardenlites products, along with ALL the ingredient and nutritional info for each product they carry (simply click on each product!). I really appreciate that they make it so easy for a consumer to find their information. I feel like when companies are proud of the products they carry, they are open and completely transparent about sharing their information.

These are muffins I would definitely purchase when they become available in my area!

GLG Disclosure: 

The product samples were sent to me by Gardenlites.com. to review on my blog if I CHOSE to do so. 

This is NOT a sponsored post and I did NOT receive monetary compensation. 

The opinions and photography in this post are completely my own.

Gluten-Free Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins 2.0

I started making these muffins back in 2008 and I still love them! I make them a bit differently now than I did back then. I don't use as many gluten-free flours (the less complicated the better!), I don't use fake margarine anymore (Velveeta is a different story...), but I sure do still whip those egg whites! 

These muffins are just so pretty I felt like I should showcase them again. There are four components to the muffins, the wet ingredients, the dry ingredients, the streusel ingredients, and whipping the egg whites... so technically you might need to get four bowls dirty to create these beauties. But honestly, I don't think you'll regret it. It's worth washing 4 bowls. 

The muffins are perfect for a brunch or even as dessert and I think they will travel well. I'm actually going to test out that theory tomorrow on a trip to see some good friends in Richmond, Va.

You could of course use any other berries for these muffins. Even chocolate chips, banana bits, chopped peaches or apples, etc... One thing I've learned though is definitely measure out those berries. While the fruit (or blueberries) are the showcase of these muffins, if you go overboard the batter will become too wet and the muffins will be gooey in the middle. Nobody wants a gooey muffin.

So here's the revised recipe, simply updated to using the ingredients that I now keep on hand in my pantry. I hope you'll enjoy them either by using the original recipe or the one below!

Gluten-Free, Streusel-Topped Blueberry Muffins
--created by Carrie Forbes author of Gingerlemongirl.com
--free of gluten, dairy, and soy
--printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown rice flour
• 1 cup arrowroot starch
• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients: 

• 2 egg yolks
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup light-tasting olive oil or melted butter

Streusel Topping:

• 3 tablespoons brown rice flour
• 2 tablespoons GF oats or blanched almond flour
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons butter or coconut oil

Glaze:

• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1-3 teaspoons orange juice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, applesauce, almond milk, olive oil or melted butter and sugar. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and fold just until combined. Fold in blueberries.
4. In another bowl whip egg whites until stiff. SLOWLY fold the whipped egg whites into the muffin batter. (If you still see streaks or clumps of egg white that is OKAY, it does NOT have to be completely incorporated!)
5. Spoon batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin tins (makes 10-11 large/ bakery-sized muffins or 24 mini-muffins).
6. In a small bowl, mix together streusel topping ingredients. Sprinkle evenly over unbaked muffins.
7. Bake for 18-21 minutes. Depending on the temperature of your oven, you may have to bake muffins longer. They are done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. If you hit a blueberry while testing it will stain your toothpick purple! 
8. Cool muffins on a wire rack.
9. Mix glaze ingredients together. Only add enough orange juice to give the glaze the consistency you desire. Drizzled on completely cooled muffins. Enjoy!

Frugal accomplishments for February 2014

Red Velvet Cupcakes from my baking book:
The Everything Gluten-Free Baking Cookbook

February's been a pretty good month so far. We've had our challenges, but overall I've enjoyed a lot of things that happened this month. My Dad is back in the hospital and that has been tough, because he was very sick when he went and his recovery has been very slow, but hopefully he is now on the mend.

We've been able to stick with our budget this month, going "cash only" for gas, groceries, and everyday necessities has been the best way to curb my overspending habits. It's definitely an inconvenience at times, but it's also brought about joys that I did not anticipate!

I've always been a quiet person by nature. Extremely introverted and I prefer doing things by myself or with my husband. But being cash only I've had to come out of my shell a bit. When you're looking for a bargain you often have to talk to people! You have to get out of the car. You have to shop in person, not online. Sometimes this is frustrating, but I've also met a lot of really awesome folks and I've learned to smile more. I've learned there is a HUGE difference between needs & wants.

A few frugal accomplishments this month have included: 

• A frugal Valentine's Day: Because the day was going to be low key financially, Michael and I found really creative ways to have fun and show our love. We made homemade cards, send small emails all day, I made Cheryl's homemade chocolates (for Michael, but I think I ended up eating them! LOL), I also made homemade gluten-free  red velvet cupcakes for a friend and we had a few leftover to celebrate the day. We spent dinner with no screens and just talked and really enjoyed our day. It was a wonderful Valentine's Day!

• Frugal traveling: With my Dad sick in the hospital we wanted to find frugal ways to visit him over the past few weeks. Thankfully I have some really great friends and we were able to stay with friends on our first visit. A week or so after our first visit Dad was transferred to UVA Medical Center in Charlottesville, VA so  I spent some time researching affordable places we could stay in Charlottesville. We found a truly wonderful resource called Alexander House Inn & Hostel. The facility has both a dorm-type facility (the hostel) where you share the large room for sleeping + a small kitchen area  + a shared bathroom, along with an inn that has several private rooms that you can rent for very reasonable prices. We rented a private room, hubs wasn't quite ready for the more frugal "dorm" option! lol (Not that I can really blame him...) You do share a bathroom with the rest of the inn visitors + all open spaces such as the kitchen area, dining area, and living room area. I LOVED how eco-friendly the inn was and how they encouraged recyclying, composting, and even harvesting rainwater for growing plants. It was an extremely relaxing place to be and was a welcome retreat after visiting with my Dad at the hospital. We met some other people visiting at Alexander House as well, but I never felt uncomfortable, and really enjoyed our private room. And surprisingly enough, it didn't seem strange to share a bathroom with people we didn't know. We never ran into a time when we needed it and it was occupied, so it worked out fine. (Oh admit it, you really wondered about that! lol! Especially if you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, bathroom readiness is important! lol) Cute neighborhood as well and very close to the hospital. We also enjoyed the kitchen area and being able to make our own gluten-free meals in the inn. We took all of our food with us. This was incredibly helpful in saving money over the course of our trip.

• Frugal shopping: Bought 3 books at a used bookstore, will probably sell them on eBay after I'm through reading them. Bought bulk toiletry items from amazon. We won't have to restock on toilet paper or paper towels for months. (Hoping to also cut down on the amount of paper towels we use, would love to stop buying them completely one day.) 

• Frugal clothing: Patched my favorite pair of jeans in the hopes of getting another year's use out of them! The patches aren't even that noticeable! 

• Frugal reading: Downloaded an app from my local library to read ebooks. I read one book, but started having issues with the app even after removing it from my phone and reloading it. Will have to let the library know I had issues with it because I would love to use this resource on a regular basis! 

• Frugal Beauty & Hygiene Products: This month I started something I've wanted to do for a long time. As much as I enjoy using coupons to buy shampoo/conditioner/toothpaste/deodorant, etc... I've always wanted to learn how to make my own and go the "no (sham)poo" route with my hair. So I've made different homemade "lotions & potions" for shampoo, conditioner, and deoderant. I've been doing this about 3 weeks with fairly good results. It definitely takes some experimenting to find the right recipes that will work for your own personal body and hair, so I've learned a lot along the way. I'll share more of these homemade beauty product recipes once I feel confident they have been successful for me. 

• Frugal gluten-free bread: I found this recipe for gluten-free sourdough bread online and have been experimenting with it for several weeks. I've made 3 batches of bread with really good results. However this week something happened with my starter. It began to smell rather vinegary and not very sourdough-y, so I tossed it just in case it came in contact with some sort of bad bacteria or something. I am starting a new batch this weekend and I hope by next week I'll be able to make gluten-free sourdough again. The best thing about this bread is that if you can make it successfully, you don't need store-bought yeast (the wild yeast rises the bread), eggs, or milk. The bread is naturally vegan, frugal to make, and really delicious! 

• Frugal probiotics: A few years ago I tried making kombucha on a regular basis. Yeah, I'm kinda hippy dippy like that, and I do believe in the power of probiotics and their role in gut health. However, I just couldn't keep up with kombucha. It's kind of an involved process where you have to brew tea, let it cool to the right temperature, use the right types of sugar and tea and allow the tea to ferment for a week or so and then store it properly... and it's kind of like taking care of a baby... and this is probably a good reason I don't have kids! lol (Cats thankfully are pretty self-sufficient and are more than happy to tell me when they are hungry!) So enter water kefir. I liked the idea of water kefir and was willing to try it. I liked that it wasn't milk/dairy based and it sounded relatively easy to care for. You simply "feed" 1/4 cup of kefir grains about 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Add enough water to fill your jar (I use a quart jar) and allow the kefir grains to ferment for 24-48 hours. (The longer you ferment, the less sweet the finished product will be.) Strain out the kefir grains and voila, you have water kefir. It's kind of like a slighly deflated soda and you can add different flavors such as lemon juice or lime juice or even fresh fruits and allow it to ferment longer to infuse the flavor of the fruits. A personal favorite combination for me is lime juice and ginger. This link will give you easy-to-follow, yet very detailed instructions on how to make water kefir. I bought my grains from amazon (since you really can seemingly buy EVERYTHING on amazon these days.) I've been fermenting the grains for about 3 weeks now and my grains have multiplied beautifully and are producing a very nice tasting water kefir. It sounds kind of strange, but it's a great way to get probiotics at a fraction of the cost of pills. Have you ever tried water kefir? I'll write a more detailed post about it later. 

What have your frugal accomplishments been this month? 

**These posts are inspired by my friend Carrie's monthly frugal accomplishments on her blog, "With all that I've been given" Please check out her wonderful blog and leave her some comment love! **

Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread Recipe

One of the recipes I love to teach in my gluten-free baking classes is focaccia. An Italian flat bread thats made with gluten-free flours, yeast, eggs, olive oil, and herbs. The taste and texture of a thick focaccia bread is different than any other bread you will try. It's chewy, yet crunchy, and incredibly full of flavor.

Rich olives and sundried tomatoes, dried oregano and basil, fresh garlic... personally I'd rather eat a thick slice of toasty focaccia with a hearty homemade soup, than a piece of pizza! This recipes make two round 8" loaves or "cakes" of focaccia. You can easily freeze one loaf for later if it's too much. For those of you who need a lower carbohydrate/ "paleo-ish" version of focaccia, I plan on posting one next week, so stay tuned!

This gluten-free recipe makes a very thick, sturdy dough that can be a bit hard to handle when just stirring by hand. So if you have a heavy-duty stand mixer, it's the perfect appliance to mix this dough. Whether you're using a little elbow grease, or you'd using the stand mixer, try out this recipe and have it simply with a fresh salad and a homemade soup. It makes a delicious and fun gluten-free meal to share with your family!

I learned how to make this fantastic gluten-free dough while visiting the Whole Foods Gluten-Free Bakehouse in Morrisville, NC. Lee Tobin, the bakehouse team leader and head baker, shared his techniques and his recipe with our local gluten-free support group while we toured the facility. This incredibly chewy and crunchy bread would also make an outstanding deep dish pizza crust!

Gluten-Free Focaccia Bread  free of gluten, dairy, and soy recipe adapted by carrie forbes of gingerlemongirl.com printer-friendly recipe Yields: 12-16 slices of focaccia  Dry Ingredients  1 ½ cups brown rice flour 1/2 cup sorghum flour 2 cups arrowroot starch or tapioca starch 2/3 cup blanched almond flour or non-fat dry milk powder (if you can tolerate dairy - we use the blanched almond flour 1 tablespoon xanthan gum 2 teaspoons Saf Instant-Yeast, Red Star Rapid Rise or “Bread Machine” Yeast, or Fleischmann’s “Bread Machine” Yeast 1 teaspoon salt Wet Ingredients: 1 ½ cups water heated to 110 degrees 3 tablespoons olive oil 4 egg whites, brought to room temperature 1 clove garlic, finely minced Fresh herbs, finely chopped (such as rosemary, oregano, or thyme) Olive oil for spreading dough Optional toppings: chopped and seeded kalamata olives and roma tomatoes Directions:  Line a 9x14” baking dish with parchment paper and grease parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray or olive oil.  In a large bowl whisk together brown rice flour, sorghum flour, arrowroot starch or tapioca starch, almond flour or non-fat dry milk powder, xanthan gum, and salt.   In another bowl whisk together heated water, olive oil, egg whites. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir together thoroughly into a stiff dough. Continue to mix as much as you can (it is a VERY stiff dough!) for an additional 3-4 minutes.  Transfer the dough to the prepared baking dish. Drizzle the dough with a little olive oil and then evenly spread dough over the entire baking dish. Cover the dough lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about 35 minutes.  When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Gently poke the dough all over with your fingers so small wells appear over the dough. Drizzle with additional olive oil and sprinkle on the minced garlic and any of the additional toppings you would like.  Bake for 15-20 minutes until focaccia is golden brown and crispy. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then slice into squares and serve.

Gluten-Free (Paleo-ish) Carrot Cake Bread

Sometimes it's amazing what you can come up with in the spur of the moment! We needed some additional pictures for my upcoming baking cookbook and we needed something colorful... an editor suggested a bread with carrot flecks. Carrot flecks? Who makes bread with carrot flecks??

So I strummed my fingers for a while... what can I make? What can I make? And then it came to me... why not make a very lightly sweetened version of a carrot cake... put it in a loaf and make it a bread! Why not?

One of my favorite aspects of this new book is that it will include a chapter of lower glycemic gluten-free baked goods. This means the primary ingredients will be almond flour and coconut flour. There's also going to be a vegan chapter as well (although not a low glycemic, vegan chapter!) so this cookbook will have a LOT of different options for people on all kinds of gluten-free diets.

While this bread isn't anywhere NEAR as sweet as a carrot cake would be, it definitely has hints of carrot cake and a lovely sweet flavor accented by ground cinnamon. It's a snap to make and has a great texture. Try it out and tell me what you think! If you're not a fan of banana bread, this is a perfect alternative! It's also really tasty spread lightly with sunbutter or almond butter!

AutiMom asked what the green flecks were in the bread... and strangely enough they are a magic (ie... chemical) reaction of the baking soda, almond flour, and carrots! I have no idea why this happens, but I'm sure we could google it! :-)

Gluten-Free Carrot Cake Bread
This moist, slightly sweet loaf is perfect for breakfast. If you can tolerate dairy it is delicious with a smear of cream cheese. It's also a fun and tasty base for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich!

Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, and corn
Yields 2 (7 1/2" x 3 1/2") loaves of bread
Recipe created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com

Printer-Friendly Recipe

Ingredients
2 1/4 cups blanched almond flour
3/4 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons olive oil or coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut palm sugar (or brown sugar)
3 large eggs
2 cups shredded carrots
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk
1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heavily grease 2 (7 1/2" x 3 1/2") loaf pans with non-stick cooking spray or coconut oil. In a medium bowl whisk together blanched almond flour, arrowroot starch, ground cinnamon, sea salt, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl mix together olive oil, coconut sugar, eggs, carrots, almond milk, and apple cider vinegar Stir the whisked dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Fold in the raisins, if desired. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake for 350-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the tops of the loaves are golden brown. Allow loaves to cool on a wire rack for one hour before slicing and serving.

OR You can make donuts instead:

My friend Diane decided to make Carrot Cake Bread DONUTS instead!! (Pure Genius Diane!) Simply pour the batter evenly into well-greased donut pans and bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Biscuits Recipe

As much as I love to cook & bake, when the holidays finally get here I'm kinda cooked out. I'm sort of glad all of our main holiday meals are at relatives homes... it means the kitchen doesn't have to be spotless and I'm not responsible for feeding tons of people!

Still, I felt like having something a little special for Christmas morning. And because I didn't feel like giving it much effort, I pulled out the emergency box of Gluten-Free Bisquick. It's the one in the cabinet for the last minute dinner guests that never show up... chicken pot pie, hello?!

Unlike the yeasty variety, these cinnamon rolls don't take hours of prep work, no waiting for the dough to rise, and they are still soft & delish. A bit more crumbly than the yeast version, but still pretty darn good for 15 minutes of simply mixing up, rolling out, and popping in the oven.

Gluten-free, dairy-free, and yummy-full!

Gluten-Free Cinnamon Roll Biscuits
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Printer-Friendly Recipe

Biscuits: 
1 recipe prepared biscuit dough for 8-10 biscuits (I used the recipe for gluten-free biscuits on the Bisquick box. You could also use my homemade gluten-free master mix biscuits.)

Filling: 
1/2 cup sugar
1-2 tablespoons cinnamon (less, if you're not really into cinnamon)
3-4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or butter, if you can tolerate butter)

Vanilla Icing: 
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 tablespoons vanilla almond milk (depending on how thin/thick you want it)

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line an 8-9" cake pan or square pan with parchment paper and set aside. Place a large sheet of plastic wrap, parchment paper, or wax paper down on a clean, flat surface. Dust the plastic wrap generously with gluten-free flour to help prevent the biscuit dough from sticking. Place biscuit dough on wrap and pat out into a 10x10 square or just into a large rectangle. Brush melted coconut oil or butter over the dough leaving about 1/4" around the edges of the dough un-oiled. Sprinkle sugar & cinnamon evenly over the dough. Using the plastic wrap to help if necessary, gently roll up the square of dough into a large cinnamon roll. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into 9-10 rolls. Place the rolls into the lined cake pan. (It's fine if they are squeezed in side-to-side!) Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then serve drizzled with vanilla icing.

To Make Icing: 
In a small bowl whisk together the confectioners sugar & almond milk. You should have a thin glaze. Drizzle evenly over the cinnamon rolls.

Carrie's Notes: 

• If you prefer sweeter cinnamon rolls, add 1/2 cup of sugar to the biscuit dough when preparing. 
• You can use regular milk in place of the almond milk in the icing or in the biscuit dough. 
• To make more decadent, gooey cinnamon rolls, place additional brown sugar & coconut oil & even a few tablespoons of coconut milk or almond milk in the bottom of the baking dish before adding the cinnamon rolls. 
• Feel free to add raisins, chopped nuts, or even chocolate chips into the filling for the rolls. 

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread Recipe

Gluten-free pumpkin bread made in the slow cooker. When you love your slow cookers as much as I do, you want to make everything in them... including quick breads. Why? Well, because it's super easy, it can cost less than using your oven, and most importantly... it's FUN! And gluten-free baking should be fun right? 

And even better the slow cooker steams your bread so it's super moist and delicious. For most of the breads in the cookbook and this recipe I used my favorite 4 quart slow cooker. It's perfect for making one batch of quick bread, and in this case... pumpkin bread!  

The only additional equipment you need to make this bread is three aluminum cans. Preferably cans that would hold about 15 - 15.5 ounces (generally from canned veggies, beans, or fruits). I've used these same three cans for about 2 years. They last forever and they are easy to clean and re-use. 

SAFETY FIRST!

• Wash the cans out with very hot, soapy water using a baby bottle brush. 
• CUT any sharp edges OFF of the rim of the cans with heavy duty metal cutting shears or scissors. This is why it's good just to create a "set" of cans to use, so that you don't have sharp edges to worry about time after time! 
• Make sure to completely remove the paper wrapper and the glue residue on the outside of the can before using to cook with. 

Before each use spritz the inside of the cans with non-stick cooking spray or use a paper towel to wipe olive oil or coconut oil evenly inside the can. By greasing the cans the bread shouldn't stick to them when baking.

To make the bread you will simply add 1/3 of the bread batter to each aluminum can and place the cans in the slow cooker. The cans will be anywhere from half to 3/4 full. Add about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water around the bottom of the cans to steam the bread and prevent the slow cooker from cracking. Place the lid on the slow cooker and then slip a chopstick right underneath the lid to help excess moisture escape during cooking.

When the bread is finished it will be cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the  middle will come out clean. Allow the bread to cool for a few minutes in the slow cooker with the lid off. You can then carefully remove the cans using a potholder or kitchen tongs.

To remove the bread, just shake the can a little and the bread should slide right out. Alternatively, you could also used the "canned" bread as a homemade gift by wrapping it decoratively in colored paper and tying it off with a pretty ribbon!

For more recipes like this gluten-free pumpkin bread and to learn more creative ways you can use your slow cooker, please check out my brand new cookbook!

Slow Cooker Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread
Created by Carrie of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, and soy
Printer-friendly recipe.

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour
2/3 cup arrowroot starch
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
3/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups plain cooked pumpkin (I used most of a 15 oz. can of Libby's 100% pure pumpkin)
1/4 cup oil (I used extra virgin olive oil)

Slow Cooker Directions:

1. Spritz three (15 - 15.5 oz) washed & dried aluminum cans with non-stick cooking spray, or use a paper towel to grease with oil. 
2. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. 
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add wet ingredients. Stir to thoroughly combine into a thick batter. 
4. Add about 1/3 of pumpkin bread batter into each can. 
5. Place cans in a 4-quart slow cooker. Add about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water around the bottom of the cans. 
6. Place the lid on the slow cooker and add a chopstick right underneath the lid to allow excess water to escape. 
7. Cook the bread on high for 3 1/2 - 4 hours until the bread is cooked through and a toothpick inserted into the middle of each can comes out clean. Allow the cans to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing them using a potholder. Gently shake bread out of the cans onto a plate. Cut each loaf into 4-5 slices and enjoy! Store pumpkin bread slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. This bread also freezes well for up to 6 months. 

Oven Directions for Pumpkin Bread Muffins:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 serving muffin tin and set aside. 
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk together ALL dry ingredients until well incorporated. In a medium sized bowl mix together all wet ingredients. 
3. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients until mixture is thoroughly moistened. Muffin batter will be thick. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into into muffin tin for 12 large muffins. 
4. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 20 minutes prior to eating (if you can wait that long!) 
5. Store in an airtight container on the counter. (Slow cooked bread is stored in the refrigerator because it is much more moist than the oven-baked bread!) 

How to Make Really Good Gluten Free Stuffing

I've had a few questions through the past week on how to make really good gluten free stuffing/dressing. I can understand your frustration. You see, one of the hardest parts of being gluten free is finding good bread. We want bread for sandwiches, we want bread for rolls, we want bread for pizza crust. And we all have our own preferences for what deems a gluten free bread good or bad.

The fun part about gluten free stuffing? You don't need the expensive good bread. Udi's & Rudi's breads are awesome in their own right as sandwich bread. Use them for sandwiches, personal pizzas, etc... but in my opinion, they are actually too light & soft to make a good stuffing bread. Most regular recipes for stuffing call for day-old bread for a reason... you need REALLY dry AND dense bread that doesn't soak up tons of moisture.

A good stuffing/dressing has a crunchy top, but holds just enough moisture underneath to make the stuffing soft, but not soggy. Lighter, softer gluten free breads make for a very soggy stuffing. You don't want the bread to soak up TOO much liquid... just enough!

To do this, you can either make a homemade gluten free bread -- often homemade gluten free bread makes AWESOME stuffing because it's more dense than store-bought bread... or you can buy Food For Life Brown Rice Bread. Many folks don't like the Food for Life brand for sandwiches (with good reason -- it's not a very flexible or soft gluten free bread) -- but it makes a killer holiday stuffing!

If you don't have a good source for buying Food for Life Brown Rice Bread, here's a gluten free bread recipe that you can use JUST for stuffing or even french toast. It makes a dense, easy-to-dry-out bread that is PERFECT for stuffing recipes and bread pudding. It also happens to be a dairy free, soy free, and vegan loaf of gluten free bread... so if you actually like the texture, help yourself and go make a sandwich!

And remember this dense bread has a LOT of calories and simple carbohydrates... so only make it on special occasions... like ya know... Thanksgiving!

Gluten Free Stuffing & French Toast Bread
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, white sugar, and eggs
Printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch or tapioca starch
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
3 tablespoons millet flour or sorghum flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 teaspoons yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (around 110 degrees F -- no hotter or you'll kill the yeast)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons concentrated fruit juice or honey

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a glass measuring cup mix together warm water, yeast, and honey. Allow the warm water mixture to proof (meaning set it aside to bubble a bit). Once the mixture has become slightly bubbly with a yeasty aroma add the olive oil and mix into the dry ingredients. The bread batter will be very thick -- much thicker than regular gluten free bread batter. Grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray or a piece of parchment paper. Spread the batter evenly into the loaf pan with a spatula that has been spritzed with non-stick cooking spray or water to get a smooth top. Cover the loaf pan with piece of plastic wrap and allow to rise on the counter until almost double in size. The loaf is a dense loaf and may not completely double in size. If you'd like a loaf with higher sides for a sandwich bread use a smaller loaf  pan such as this one. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until loaf is golden brown on top and you can lightly tap on the top center of the bread. Allow the bread to cool completely on a wire rack before slicing. Sliced gluten free bread will be VERY dense, almost gummy, call it a brick if you'd like, but either way -- this is what you want!

To prepare bread for stuffing: 
Slice bread into 12-14 slices and then cut into 1" cubes. Place cubes on a baking sheet that has been lined with aluminum foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes to an hour (or longer if necessary -- all depends on your oven) until cubes are VERY dry, golden brown, and have shrunk in size significantly. Check on the cubes every 10 minutes after baking for 30 minutes to make sure they are drying out but not burning. Use the following recipe to make gluten free dressing/stuffing.

Delicious Gluten-Free Dressing/Stuffing
Created by Carrie Forbes of Gingerlemongirl.com
Recipe Originally Shared on a Simple & Easy Gluten Free Thanksgiving Menu
Free of gluten, soy, eggs, and options for dairy free
Printer-friendly recipe

6-8 cups toasted, cubed, and very dry gluten free bread
1-2 TBSP. poultry seasoning
1 cup celery, sliced and finely diced
1 cup onion, finely diced
1-2 cups gluten free chicken broth
¼ - ½ cup butter -OR- melted coconut oil (omit if using sausage)
1-2 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. pepper
Optional: 1 lb. gluten free mild sausage

Place toasted, cubed GF bread in a LARGE bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a large pan on the stovetop. When warm and sizzling, add onions and celery. Saute until onions are translucent. Add salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Combine with onions and celery. Pour onion and butter mixture over bread cubes in bowl. If using sausage, add to the large pan, break up into small pieces and brown until completely cooked through. Pour browned sausage into stuffing mixture Stir together thoroughly. Slowly add 1 cup of chicken broth to bread cube mixture. If you like a more moist dressing add additional chicken broth until desired consistency. Pour dressing into an oven safe casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Still have questions? 

Click on the blog and join in the chat to the left, or leave a comment below.

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! :-)

Gluten Free Review: Rudi's Gluten Free Bread

I've been meaning to write a review on Rudi's bread since last summer. I'm a little behind! Rudi's Organic Bakery is a small company that started in Boulder Co.,  nearly 35 years ago back in 1976. Their passion has always been to bake healthy, delicious breads without artificial ingredients, preservatives, or chemicals. 

From Rudi's website:

"For years, people have been asking us to bake gluten-free breads that are as delicious and wholesome as our organic breads. In fact, it was the one request we seemed to be getting over any other. So, two years ago, we started on our gluten-free journey.

After trying nearly every gluten-free bread on the market, and talking to over a hundred gluten-free consumers, we quickly discovered it was nearly impossible to find gluten-free bread that tasted good straight from the package and that was easy to make sandwiches with.  As bakers who enjoy creating high quality, delicious breads, we immediately understood the desire of our new friends with celiac disease or gluten intolerances to enjoy the simple pleasure of a piece of toast with breakfast or a sandwich for lunch.  It became our mission to make gluten-free bread with the taste, look and feel of regular bread."

Rudi's professional bakers then spent two years working on a formula for healthy, wholesome, and GOOD tasting gluten free bread! They worked with hundreds of consumers and taste testers to finally come up with the gluten free bread, buns, and pizza crust they sell today! (You can find retailers for Rudi's products here: http://www.rudisglutenfree.com/where-to-buy/) 

I personally am a HUGE fan of Rudi's gluten free bread. I have been for several years and here is why: For one: YES, it tastes great! It is better toasted, especially if it is close to the sell-by date. (As with all gluten free breads, the more fresh it is, the better it is!) But more than anything, Rudi's bread is made with REAL ingredients that I can not only pronounce and understand, but that I can find in my own kitchen. I know what Rudi's puts into their bread and I love how natural it is. 

My favorite is the multi-grain bread. Below are the nutrition facts: 

Here are the ingredients for Rudi's Multigrain Bread: 

"Water, potato extract, rice starch, rice flour, sorghum flour, organic high oleic sunflower/safflower oil, organic evaporated cane juice, organic honey, egg whites, organic inulin, yeast, sea salt, xanthan gum, organic cornmeal, organic sunflower seeds, organic millet, organic flaxseed, organic molasses."

What I love about this bread is that nearly all those ingredients are already at home in my kitchen.  They are ingredients I use in my own gluten free bread baking and Rudi's tastes like homemade bread to me.

Rudi's also has seriously awesome customer service. This company was kind enough to send over 20 loaves of bread to my gluten free support group for tasting. Each member of my support group got to take home a WHOLE loaf of bread to try! How generous is that?

And right now Rudi's is having a really cool recipe contest with their products! You can find all the details & enter to win via their Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/rudisglutenfreebakery?sk=app_203943816295148. You will have a chance to star in Rudi's online cooking show AND win a trip to Boulder, Co. AND $500 cash...and there are TONS of second & third prizes for those who do not win the top prize!

I really hope you'll give Rudi's gluten free breads, buns, and pizza crusts a try! I can't wait to see what products you love and what recipes you come up with!

***********

Product Review Disclosure Notice:

Rudi's Gluten Free Bakery provided me with a  free sample loaf of bread to try for a review. I was not paid for this review. I was already a fan of Rudi's products and therefore they did not influence my review in any way, shape, or form. 

Gluten Free Whole Grain Teff Muffins Recipe

At a recent local gluten free support group meeting one of our wonderful members presented a program on different gluten free flours and how to use them. She brought a delicious batch of gluten free teff muffins from a Bette Hagman cookbook. The muffins were incredible. Deeply rich and distinctly tasted like the whole wheat bran muffins I remembered from my gluten days.

I decided to try the muffins this morning with my own personal revisions (since apparently it's impossible for me make ANY recipe as is... lol)

I am so impressed with these muffins. The only type of teff I could find locally was a bag of whole teff grains. The are TINY grains -- I believe they might be considered the smallest grains in the world. I pondered what exactly to do with them and then realized I could probably grind them in my vitamix since they were so small! I poured about 1 cup of grains into the vitamix and ground them slowly for a minute or two. The end result was a soft, slightly grainy flour.

It worked! I made a large batch of muffins so I could take them to work this week for breakfast. the texture of these muffins is incredible. It really does remind me of bran muffins by texture and taste! I am low on eggs at the moment, so I used Ener-G Egg Replacer and additional oil in place of eggs. It made the muffins not rise quite as high as they would have otherwise, but it didn't affect the flavor one bit! I also left gums out of these muffins and added my favorite ground flax seeds which means additional healthy fiber and omega-3's!

I've also started measuring my flours by weight in addition to volume for those of you who prefer to measure ingredients by weight. I'll always be a cup & teaspoons girl myself, but it is fun to see how much the different flours each weigh separately. I hope this will be a helpful addition my recipes.

Gluten Free Teff Muffins
free of gluten, dairy/casein, soy, corn, gums, potatoes, eggs
adapted from a Bette Hagman recipe from, "The Gluten Free Gourmet Cooks Comfort Foods"
(I made a large batch so that I could take these for breakfast this week)
Makes 18 regular sized muffins
printer-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups (228 gm) teff flour
2/3 cup (80 gm) arrowroot starch
1/4 cup (28 gm) ground flax seeds
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup (102 gm) sugar

Wet Ingredients:
4 eggs -OR- 1/2 cup (145 gm) warm water + 2 tbsp. EnerG egg replacer whisked together
1/2 cup (95 gm) oil
1 cup (240 gm) non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

Optional Add In's:
1/2 cup chopped nuts (55 gm) -- I used chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins (76 gm)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 cupcake/muffin pans with paper liners or spritz with non-stick cooking spray. (I was able to make 18 of them). In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl mix together all wet ingredients and pour into dry ingredients. Mix just until thoroughly combined. Fold in chopped nuts or raisins. Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full with muffin batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the muffins comes out clean. The muffins with be dark brown -- almost "chocolately" in appearance. If you use eggs the muffins will have tall domed tops, if you use egg replacer as I did, they will just reach the top of the muffin liner and have a flat top -- either way they are still delicious!! Allow muffins to cool 10-15 minutes before eating. If they are not allowed to cool properly they will have a taste slightly gooey.

Nutrition Information Per Muffin using egg-replacer (18 Muffins):
171 calories, 9 grams fat, 2 grams fiber, 2 grams protein

Carrie's Ingredient Notes:

• Flours: I used teff flour as my main whole grain in this recipe. The flour gives these muffins the distinct bran-like flavor they have, but feel free to use the same amount of your favorite whole grain flour, although know they will have a slightly different taste. I use arrowroot starch exclusively as my starch of choice, although you could easily sub this with cornstarch, potato starch, or white rice flour.
• Sugar: In this initial recipe I used regular white sugar. You could also use brown sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar etc... feel free to use the sugar you like best. You could also reduce the sugar by a 1/3 in this recipe without having a big difference in the flavor of the muffins.
• Oil: I generally use canola oil or olive oil in my recipes. Feel free to use the oil of your choice. It should not adversely affect the texture or taste of these muffins. You could also use 1/4 cup oil + 1/4 cup applesauce to cut back on both fat content and calories.
• Ground Flax Seeds: These serve several purposes in this recipe. First they add a nuttiness and a lot of healthy fiber to the recipe. Secondly when ground flax seeds are introduced to a liquid they start to gel slightly, so they take the place of using xanthan gum for texture in this recipe. I don't advise leaving them out of the recipe. You could use 2 tbsp of ground chia seeds in place of the flax if you prefer.
• Non-Dairy Milk: Use regular milk or your preferred non-dairy milk. I always use almond milk since I can find it locally.

Basic Gluten Free Pancakes Recipe 2.0

I originally shared this post  for basic gluten free pancakes on Tuesday February 23, 2010.  I'm proud to say this has been one of the most popular & enjoyed recipes on Gingerlemongirl! (Thanks Dad!) Today though I wanted to share a slight variation on the recipe to thicken the batter slightly without the use of gums.

Shauna over at Gluten Free Girl & The Chef has recently been experimenting with recipes that use no xanthan gum or guar gum. Here is her recent recipe for gluten free whole grain gum-free muffins! I plan on making these this week.  In 2008 and 2009 I also experimented with using little or no gums and I agree with Shauna, I think for most gluten free recipes you don't need them. I plan on creating more recipes this year without xanthan or guar gums. The biggest challenge in not using xanthan gum or guar gum is creating good tasting gluten free yeast breads, but we'll worry about that another day.

For now though... let's talk pancakes. These pancakes are great as is... but a question I've received often is how to make the batter a bit more thick. It's a thin batter because there is no xanthan gum or gluten to thicken it up. However, you can easily make this batter a bit more thick (and make pancakes just as delicious) by adding ground flax seeds that have been mixed with boiling, hot water to create a gel. This will thicken your batter -- not as much as xanthan gum would -- but enough to make a thicker batter that works great to get pancakes that are more round and have a better shape.



So if you tried these pancakes in the past, but wanted a thicker batter, here you go. The same recipe with a single addition of the ground flax seeds mixture. Please give these delicious & easy gluten free pancakes a try and tell me what you think!


Dad's Best Pancakes (Made Gluten Free)
-Or- Basic Gluten Free Pancakes
Adapted by Carrie Forbes @ Gingerlemongirl.com
(Free of gluten, casien, and soy)
(Printer-friendly recipe)

Dry Ingredients
3/4 cup brown rice flour -or- millet flour -or- sorghum flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
3 tablespoons gluten free rolled oats -- really adds some great thickness to the batter 
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
1 tablespoon canola or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds + 2 tbsp. boiling hot water = mix & set aside for 5 min. to gel - then add to wet ingredients.

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl add all dry ingredients and whisk together thoroughly. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the vanilla, an egg, 1 cup of non-dairy milk, and the oil. Whisk wet ingredients together with dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed. You will have a very wet, but slightly thick batter that will cling to the whisk. Brush skillet or non-stick pan with olive oil or non-stick spray. Heat pan on medium high heat until it's hot enough to make a drop of water sizzle. Pour a few tablespoons - 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook until bubbles form on the top and pop and the edges are slightly dry. Flip and cook the opposite side for 1-2 minutes. Serve piping hot with casein free margarine or ghee and real maple syrup!

Enjoy!

Thoughtfully,
Carrie