A little Halloween fun...

Simple Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins and Fall Photos

I've made quite a few banana nut muffins over the years... such as these, and these, and even these... but yesterday I just wanted the easiest recipe I could find.

I flipped through my baking cookbook and found a recipe that used my "master baking mix" (you could substitute gluten-free bi$quick or your favorite all-purpose GF baking mix) but I didn't have any on hand...  so I made it work for what I did have on hand:

Simple Gluten-Free Banana Nut Muffins
gluten-free, can be dairy-free, no xanthan or guar gums, can be egg-free
serves 12
print-friendly recipe

Dry Ingredients: 
2 cups gluten-free flour of YOUR choice -OR- my current favorite blend:
     -2/3 cup brown rice flour
     -2/3 cup arrowroot starch
     -2/3 cup almond flour (I prefer Honeyville)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)

Wet Ingredients:
2 medium bananas, mashed to oblivion (about 1 cup of banana puree)
2 large eggs (or egg substitutes)
1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup non-dairy milk mixed with 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or lemon juice)
2 tablespoons lite olive oil -or- melted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 
• Line a muffin pan with paper liners and spritz them with non-stick cooling oil or lite olive oil.
• In a large bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. 
• In a smaller bowl whisk together all wet ingredients.
• Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients and just mix until all the dry ingredients have been thoroughly incorporated into the wet ingredients. 
• Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, spoon batter into a greased or paper-lined muffin tins until at least 3/4 full - but you can fill to the top, they will just rise taller.
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, testing the middle with a toothpick inserted in the middle (should come out clean) to make sure the muffins are done. 
• Cool on a wire rack and serve. These muffins can be stored on the counter for up to 3 days and they will retain their moisture. I would freeze them in small packages after that. 

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Michael's mom playing with Charlie during a recent visit... 

In other news... I'm headed towards the end of my first graduate class and trying to get caught up on my last few assignments... because this final paper is not going to write itself...

Michael had a double ear-infection over the past week and I hope I NEVER have to see him go through something like that again. Talk about serious pain. I felt so bad for him. Thankfully after 3 trips to the doctor and 2 rounds of antibiotics + a huge antibiotic shot over the past three weeks, he's doing much better. And trust me on this one...after all that medication, give your loved ones probiotics... probiotics are the bee's knees my friends! Do it people!

I can't believe how FAST this semester has flown by.... I'm not sure if it's because I'm older and time in general seems to go by faster now or if school just has a way of making life do that... but I kinda wish it would slow down a bit! :-)

Happy Fall Everyone!

This guy has been lurking in the pecan tree over the past few weeks! We still can't believe he let Michael get this close!

Best buddies for life! Charlie & Whiskey Jack

So THIS was the publication that people
found a familiar face in... 

It's actually a 2nd printing from last year, which was why I was so surprised to see it!
Fun to see yourself in the drug store magazine selection though! :-) 

Our super sweet niece Cheyenne... 

Cheyenne decided I needed a friend to take home with me...
heart = melted!

Michael took this at the duck pond at work one morning. I love fall sunrises! 

Michael and his siblings.  So good to see them all together!

Fall decluttering... it took two loads to get it all in the car to Goodwill... and I'm not done yet...

Charlie's favorite spot!

A favorite shot of my father-in-law.. love this guy!

Gluten-free cupcakes I made for a friend's birthday.
I loved how the frosting turned out (Good ol' Pillsbury...). Used this recipe. 

All the snuggles and the sticking out of tongues!

Frugal Five - Homemade Repairs and Returned Ice-Cream

From Katy's wonderful website: http://thenonconsumeradvocate.com/

One of my absolute favorite bloggers, Katy of the Non-Consumer Advocate has a series of weekly posts entitled "Five Frugal Things." I LOVE these posts from her because they share little things she does throughout each week that help contribute to her frugal, non-consumer lifestyle. It's the little things we choose to do everyday that help make a big difference in the overall picture. I've learned a lot from those posts.

I've been keeping track of little frugal things I do every week just to keep myself on the right track, to remind myself why I'm trying to save money and use less "stuff": mainly to pay off debt, live more simply, and produce less trash for a happier planet. My hope is to try to start sharing some of those frugal achievements here on the blog, as it's something that's a big focus in our life right now.

Another important lesson lately is that you can be frugal with more things than just money, you can also be frugal of your own resources by using your time wisely and your energies mindfully.


Frugal Five 3-23-2015

1. Cooked 3 meals on Sunday so we would be less tempted to eat out later this week. This not only saves money on future meals, but saves me valuable time later this week. I'm not always able to do this, just depending on our Sunday schedule, but I was thankful I had the time and energy to get it done this week.
2. Spent 2 hours last night repairing the bottom sheet of my favorite set of queen size bed sheets. They are about 11 years old, soft and super comfortable, but had lately developed a few very small tears. I patched the pairs and I'm crossing my fingers this sheet set will last another few years, as they are quite pricey to replace. 
3. Was frugal with my time on Sunday... along with making a few meals ahead of time, I also did all of our laundry from the past two weeks. It was a lot of work at the time, but will give us a lot more time to relax when we get home from work this week. 
4. We rented a redbox movie on Saturday when Michael's parents were visiting. Redbox DVD's cost $1.60 (with tax) for a 24 hour rental. We used to rent most of our movies from Amazon streaming service, but streaming the movies can cost anywhere from $2.99 (cheapest) to $6.99 for a 24 hour rental. It's definitely cheaper to drive (or walk) the 2 miles to the local Dollar General instead (presuming you always return it on time!)
5. We also planned on having a simple dessert of ice-cream after a homemade dinner on Saturday with Michael's parents. I bought a box of ice-cream for $3.99 + tax. When it was time for dessert I opened the ice-cream and found that it was really old and gooey and I was just mad. At first I just tossed the ice-cream in the trash and went about trying to find something super quick instead (we had chilled, sliced bananas & strawberries drizzled with chocolate sauce - that had been intended as a TOPPING for the ice-cream! Oh well! It was healthier anyway! lol) -- After thinking about it later though, I realized just tossing the ice-cream was not in my benefit. I pulled the old ice-cream out of the trash and placed it back in the freezer and returned it the next day. For $3.99 + tax, it was worth the very short drive back to the store for an even exchange. 

Is anybody else super lazy and generally not up to returning bad items back to the grocery store? (Shopping is not my favorite...) Trust me, from now on I will be more willing to do returns... (Especially if the item is heading towards the $5 mark! lol)! 

What frugal things have you accomplished this week? 

The Year of Reading -- Books Read in February

February has come and gone (where did it go?)...  and our book group's reading challenge for February was to read a book on the best seller list. My online book group chose to pick a book from the New York Times bestsellers list for February and many of use became so engrossed in the books that one book became three (or four, or more!)

The first book I chose for the month was The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins. This was a mystery/suspense/thriller and I was completely taken in from the first page. I think I finished the book in 3-4 days, which is record time for me. The main character/narrator is Rachel... a beautifully sensitive, ironic, and deeply flawed (yet completely lovable) young lady. She rides the train every day to work and you learn about "stories" she makes up about people and places she sees along the way every day. 

I loved this aspect of the story so much, because it's something that I also do... but before long Rachel gets involved in a story about two of the people she sees and she gets wrapped into a mystery that she unwillingly becomes a part of. It's hard to say too much about this story without giving anything away, so I'll leave it up to you to read more. I will say, this was my absolute favorite book of the month and I'll be reading/listening to it again soon and I look forward to reading more books by Paula Hawkins! (The aud*ible version of the book with the three different narrators including Louise Brealey of "Sherlock" fame was one of the best narrations I've listened to in a LONG time... who needs a movie!) 

For another great review, check out the write up on NPR. As soon as I finished the book I couldn't help but make a date with my husband to watch 'Rear Window' which has similar thriller/suspense storytelling!

The second book I read was Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. Several friends had read this book in the past year and they either loved it or hated it, especially the ending... so I was intrigued. Of all the books I read this month this was the one that "stuck" with me in terms of thinking about the overall themes and outcomes of the book. It was by far my LEAST favorite as far as story line and content... but it was a bewildering book in so many regards. If there is a book that has ever thrown me for a loop throughout the story, this one takes the cake. I was shocked, horrified, inspired, and awed. I don't know exactly how to categorize this book, but it definitely has major elements of suspense and mystery.

This book will truly leave you thinking. I think in some aspects I would coin it as a very brave book from the hands of the author. You will not leave this book liking the characters, truly enjoying the story, or learning/having any big moment of self-awareness or realization... what you will leave with is an utter sense of shock and bewilderment... and it will leave you thinking about people you know, about circumstances in life, and who knows what else... I imagine it will be very different for every reader. I recommend the book if you are okay with a lot of language, sexual scenes... however if are a victim of sexual violence or trauma, this book could may cause emotional triggers.

The third book I read was Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. This book was full of surprises. I wasn't really sure what to expect from the book since it was centered around parents of children that go to a small elementary/primary school in a small town in England. I don't have children, so I'm not involved in the parental politics of dealing with the local PTA, cliques, and mommy wars... so I wasn't even sure if I would enjoy this book. However, it was a really fun and surprising read. I enjoyed how the book was written, and the characters in this book are extremely likable and relate-able.

This book is again part mystery/part suspense (my personal favorite genre!). The main character Madeline was definitely a favorite of mine throughout the entire story. As a parent who tries desperately to fit in with the group of moms surrounding her, yet also trying to take new friends under her wing, she's a truly realistic and fun character with a great family. She's constantly dealing with her past as well as trying to shape her future as a wife and mother of a blended family and as a good and loyal friend to those around her. There are many challenges and and frustrations she faces throughout the book, especially when it comes to the mystery within the book. I can't really say much about the mystery without giving away plot lines, but as with many in this genre, someone dies... just this time... at a PTA meeting... you know, the regular type of setting!

The intertwined friendships of Madeline, Jane, and Celeste are so relate-able and their narration throughout the book is intriguing and continually makes you want to read more. I'd definitely like to read this book over again, because in some ways I went through it so quickly (because I kept wanting to find out what happened), I missed out on a lot of great details.

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Afterthoughts: 

Big, Little, Lies was my 2nd favorite of the month after The Girl on the Train. I would highly recommend both of these books as unique mysteries, enjoyable dialog and writing, and great characters.

Gone Girl is in some ways much more literary than the other two books, but also a fascinating read and a great study of some aspects of human psychology and psychopathic tendencies.

Our book group's choice for the March theme is "a book you've been meaning to read" ... if you'd like to join our little group on facebook please shoot me an email (gingerlemongirl at gmail dot com) and I'll send you the link so you can ask to join. We'd love to have you!

An October Food & Exercise Update & Kittehs

October has been a busy month! We participated in another 5K, this was focused on Autism Awareness in Greenville, NC. We participated with a BUNCH of kids who were part of a running club (I had no idea such a thing existed for kids!) and it was so inspiring to see these kids take part of a 5K (and completely kick our butts along the way! lol)... It was a really fun event! Michael and I both finished around 49 minutes which was a record for us! I had burning lungs, but it felt really good to shave 6 minutes off my time from the September 5K! 

This month was also a milestone for us as Michael and I celebrated 10 years of marriage! It's gone by so fast, and it's fun to look back on the blog, because we had only been married 3 years when I started writing Ginger Lemon Girl... so we've grown along with this blog! 

It also marked a month of a huge change in our way of eating. I decided to start following a "whole-foods-plant-based-low-oil" eating plan. Basically the "McDougall Plan" if you're familiar with vegetarian/vegan doctor programs. Of course I follow the plan the best way I can with a gluten intolerance and a soy allergy, so I'm definitely not 100% McDougall, but very close. I decided with my Dad's medical history of heart problems and other health issues that it was time to make a permanent change. And somehow, it's been relatively easy. Much easier than I thought it would be. 

I also had a recent check up at my doctor's office and I had lost 11 pounds since my visit in late August and my blood pressure was the lowest it's ever tested in the past 10 years. My doctor said that I may even be able to go off one of my blood pressure medications very soon! So I feel very good about this dietary decision. I feel like I'm headed in the right direction to regain my overall health and I feel like I'm truly feeding my body well. I'm also incredibly thankful my husband is so supportive and willing to eat most of the "new" foods in our menu rotation! :-) 

I thought I'd share a sample of some of the things from our kitchen the past few weeks. Most don't have a specific recipe... just things I threw together to make a quick meal. I have not used any animal products in over a month and for my spiritual and religious beliefs...along with my health, it's just been a really great decision. 

 Rice chex with almond milk, sliced almonds, and blueberries... loaded cereal is always a favorite breakfast or snack! 

One of my favorite snacks right now is just plain 'ol drained & rinsed canned chickpeas (garbanzo beans). I could make them from scratch, but the canned variety from Harris Teeter is so easy! This snack is what seriously pulled me through the first week of being vegan. I think I probably ate at least 3 cans!

 In some ways after I had spend so much time and energy writing cookbooks the past few years I was "over" cooking and prep work. I just didn't want to do it anymore, it was major burnout... but changing my way of eating has given me a new energy in the kitchen and helped me to enjoy cooking again! This is the prep for kale & potato hash, one of my favorite breakfasts! Chopped potatoes, mushrooms, kale, green pepper, onions, and there's garlic in there somewhere!

The finished hash! I served it with salsa and half an avocado per serving. One of the keys to following a "McDougall" type plan is to eat as many whole-food, plant-foods as possible with no added oils. McDougall recommends that the fats in your diet come from whole food sources such as avocado, seeds, or nuts. I limit these foods because I'm trying to lose weight, but include one or two servings a week. 

A rare treat! I doubt these muffins were actually vegan or oil-free, but they WERE GLUTEN-FREE and this was from a meal out at Sweet Tomatoes in Raleigh, NC! Recently they have started offering a limited selection of gluten-free baked goods occasionally and these were gluten-free maple nut muffins. They were absolutely delicious and I was so impressed with Sweet Tomatoes offering a gluten-free baked good for those with celiac or gluten sensitivity.

My salad from our meal out at Sweet Tomatoes. It's amazing to me that I can enjoy a salad without eggs or cheese on it. I honestly never thought that was something I could do long term. But I feel SO GOOD with this way of eating, that I really don't miss the animal proteins at all. They even had gluten-free chilled brown rice pasta on the salad bar! This salad was early in my journey, so the dressing was not dairy-free (at least I don't think it was)... now I'm usually dressing salads with red wine vinegar, or apple cider vinegar, or a homemade tahini lemon dressing... and freshly ground salt & pepper.

 This was a "no-meat" loaf... in which Michael was seriously heavy-handed on the ketchup! haha! This recipe was from the Happy Herbivore cookbook, it was called "The Hippie Loaf" created for a friend who had celiac disease. We honestly were not big fans of this version of a no-meat loaf. I prefer this version that I tried several years ago... however, the mashed potatoes were made from yukon gold potatoes and simply mashed with Harris Teeter vegetable broth, a little nutritional yeast, and lots of added garlic and onion seasoning... we ate the entire pot. I love not feeling guilty about eating mashed potatoes!

For breakfast and sometimes lunch I often have veggie sandwiches loaded with hummus, sliced red peppers, sliced mushrooms, alfalfa sprouts, sliced tomatoes, sliced cooked potatoes, spinach, kale, etc... all put between two slices of gluten-free bread for me... it's filling, healthy, and is a perfect vegan "fast food" meal. McDougall recommends making your own hummus without any added oils and limited tahini (or no tahini)... because I live in the real world and I'm just trying to get through my 9-5 everyday, I use Food Lion's Taste of Inspirations types of hummus. They don't have a lot of added oil (and are definitely not swimming in it like some brands) and I use gluten-free bread from the store that does have egg whites. It's important to me to share this because while it doesn't follow the McDougall plan completely, it's close and it's still a very healthy way to eat and it works for my personal time limitations. I truly believe you have to make a plan work for you the best way you can. Otherwise, how will you stick with it? For these sandwiches, I try to slice & prep any ingredients and have them ready in the fridge for a quick meal anytime during the week. Hummus has become my mayonnaise and I LOVE slathering it on these sandwiches!

This was a meal I made a few nights ago and it would be a really great idea for the holidays. I had bought two medium-sized acorn squashes and I wanted to fill them with something other than rice (I've eaten a lot of rice! lol)... so I decided to make a stuffing with some of the gluten-free bread we had, chopped spinach, chopped & roasted chestnuts, celery, onions, sunflower seeds, and poultry seasoning. I used vegetable broth as the "binder" for the stuffing and this meal was THE BOMB! It would definitely be a great meal for the holidays, it tasted a lot like my favorite Thanksgiving stuffing, without feeling guilty about carb overload!

This was a comfort food night. I wanted something soupy with potatoes, so we made an easy succotash stew. Just peeled & boiled red potatoes and added a can of corn, tomatoes, and lima beans to the potatoes and cooking broth. I actually made this at my mother-in-law's house and everyone seemed to enjoy it for a late dinner that night.

Dinner out for our anniversary! I can't give up sushi, so I made the decision to have veggie sushi that night and it was delicious! I had two orders of avocado sushi, and one order of a veggie roll which included avocado, cucumbers, and two types of Japanese pickles. I was a very happy camper. This was a cornerstone meal to me because I really wanted to "cheat" and order my favorite Philly roll with smoked salmon and cream cheese... but I stuck to my plan and it worked and I felt great after our dinner. 

Along with the food changes, walking has become my favorite form of both meditation and exercise. I walk 4-5 days out of each week and it's easier on some days than others. But it's slowly becoming a habit I love and something I look forward too. At first I walked most mornings around 4:30am because my work schedule had changed and that forced me to get up earlier. However... as it's gotten colder in the mornings, I've gotten lazy and become a wimp... and now generally walk at the duck pond at work around 10am. Either way... it's happening and I'm glad! I love getting that daily dose of fresh air, stretching my legs, and having that time to be thankful and meditative for the day ahead.

And last but not least... PIZZA! And that's a vegan pizza no less! This is definitely a treat because it has Daiya vegan (and gluten-free and soy-free) cheese on it, and the crust has added oil, but I can't give up pizza out occasionally and I'm just thrilled I can still get it and enjoy it and not feel guilty about it. My favorite place to get pizza is Zpizza, but Mellow Mushroom now has a vegan, gluten-free crust available as well. To be MORE McDougall compliant, I can easily leave off the Daiya and just have a tomato sauce & veggie pizza. It dawned on me about 2 months ago that over the past year I had not ordered a pizza with meat. There have been many small changes in my eating along the way that have enabled this change to come at the right time. And apparently over the past year, I've preferred a veggie pizza every time! This must be why! :-) 

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And because I've been suck a slacker in my posting schedule, I thought I'd share some kitteh pictures with  you! Enjoy! 

Mollie in her favorite place lately, snuggled next to Michael in his chair.  

Max & Maya, lifelong snuggle buddies

 Max is not so much of a lapcat, but he will sit in the cat tree and stare at you intently for hours! It can be kind of creepy some days... lol!

 This is my mother-in-law's cat Tobie. He loves to sit in the fabric between her foot rest and chair when she's dozing in the living room! 

Charlie & Whiskey... these boys are bestest buddies and it's a rare day to find one not next to or on top of the other! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Jodi's Simple Vegetarian Antipasto Salad

photos by Jodi Hargreaves, used with permission.

Jodi decided to save the day here at Gingerlemongirl.com... I told her that my poor blog had been neglected the past few months and I needed some new recipes. SO she went home, made her current favorite lunch salad and took pictures. Sent them to me and said, "Here you go, I fixed it."

So here's Jodi's salad! We couldn't really figure out what to name it, but it's sort of an antipasto salad sans any meat... so it's vegetarian right? ;-)

Whatever it is... it's good!

I actually made my own version of the salad this week and used mini cucumbers and heirloom cherry tomatoes and that worked great too! However, I love the half-moon cucumbers in Jodi's salad!

And you really can't beat fresh mozzarella! Especially when it soaks up all the tomato, cucumber, and red wine vinegar goodness!

Jodi's salad is quite simply:

• a chopped tomato (or halved cherry tomatoes)
• black, seeded calamata olives
• green olives with or without the stuffed pimento
• half a cucumber, sliced (or 2 sliced mini cucumbers)
• half a ball of fresh mozzarella, cubed 
• sliced banana peppers (optional... I left these out! You can haz them Jodi!)
• whole salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar 

That's it! Just mix it up, refrigerate and have for lunch! 

I used a fancy-schmancy smoked balsamic vinegar from The Olive Wagon in Raleigh, NC.  Use whatever your favorite red wine or balsamic vinegar is, use your favorite cheese, make up your own salad for a quick and easy weekday lunch! :-) Thanks for saving the day Jodes! :-)

Restaurant Review: zpizza, North Raleigh

Roasted Tomato Pesto Pizza on a gluten-free crust at zpizza in North Raleigh!

It's amazing how far my small town has come in the past 5-6 years as far as having gluten-free resources readily available! Between Harris Teeter, Walmart, Target (and soon ALDI), we have a ton of options for gluten-free baking supplies, mixes, and even bread... However pizza is still a different story.

For pizza, we make a special trip to Raleigh! And that's okay... it makes it a fun outing and something that you really enjoy when you get!

Several years ago Mellow Mushroom was my favorite place to go, but the past few times we've gone the wait has been super long and the parking in downtown Raleigh, is no easy task... so we headed to zpizza instead. There's also a zpizza in downtown Raleigh, but we were trying to get away from the traffic, so we sought out the North Raleigh location instead.

One thing I really love about zpizza is it's focus on whole, natural foods. Not every ingredient is organic, but they have 100% certified organic tomato sauce and non-GMO flours for their pizza. (I'm not sure if the gluten-free pizza is also non-GMO, but the regular crust is.)

The pepperoni is preservative-free and the chicken breast is hormone-free.  The mozzarella is from grass-fed cows and is RBGH-Free, and they offer AWESOME gluten-free and vegan options. NEARLY any pizza on the menu can be made on the gluten-free crust, and they use Daiya vegan cheese, so no soy for those of you who need to be dairy-free and soy-free as well!

I really love this handsome dude! :-) 

I had the Roasted Tomato Pesto Pizza on a gluten-free crust, which I LOVE because the sauce is not tomato-based (and my tummy has tomato issues!) The pizza was AWESOME! I love the crispy thin gluten-free crust, and the pesto was fanstastic. It tasted super fresh and with the fresh basil and mozzarella, it was lip-smackin' good! The pizza had just a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes on top that get caramelized and roasted as it bakes and it was absolutely delicious! Just the right amount of tomato for this nightshade-sensitive gal!

Michael had the All American pizza on a regular crust and was a very happy camper! It's great to go somewhere we both get an option and I still know I can get a safe gluten-free pizza!

We're big fans! If you have a zpizza nearby check it out! :-)