GF / Grain free - Almond crackers or pizza crust

I was surprised at how tasty this was. It sounds kind of disgusting, but it was delicious.  I first made it!  They look prettier if you use blanched almond flour.  

2 cups almond flour
1/4 c. nutritional yeast (optional, but great flavor)
1 T baking powder
1 tsp sea salt

2 eggs 

1 T olive oil

Mix almond flour, yeast, baking powder and sea salt  in a small bowl.  Add in eggs & olive oil.  Mix until dough forms.
Roll dough between two pieces of parchment paper to be 1/8" thick.  Bake 400 degrees for 10-20 minutes (depends on thickness, so check often!)

Make mini pizzas by rolling 1-1/2" balls of dough.  Cook 8 minutes, then put toppings on and bake an additional 7-12 minutes until cheese is melted.

Homemade Gatorade

Soccer season is upon us.  I find it awfully ironic that we are encouraging our kids to get good exercise and then they get junk food for snacks.  I wanted to get a good gatorade sub that my kids would be happy to give up the junky kind for!   

1 qt water
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp CALM powder (optional, provides calcium/magnesium minerals)
1-1/2 c. Grape juice (or other flavor)
1-2T sweetener (agave, honey or equiv amount stevia)

Mix it up and drink it!

Option:  I've used the juice drained from juice-sweetened canned fruit too.

Husband-Approved Power Cookie Dough Balls (and Gluten free, too!)

My husband LOVES chocolate chip cookies and chocolate chip cookie dough.  And he's pretty selective about which he'll eat.  He really liked these, and so did everyone else!  Good enough to eat even when not gluten free. 

2 c. blanched almond flour (although unblanched will work too.  Just not as pretty) 

1/8 tsp real salt 

1/4 c. coconut oil 

1/4 c. honey 

2 tsp vanilla 

2 T mini chocolate chips 

In a small saucepan, melt coconut oil & honey on very low heat.  Add vanilla when oil and honey are just melted and stir it in.  Remove from heat.  Mix together almond flour & salt in a small bowl.  Pour honey mixture into almond mix.  Stir.  Add chocolate chips and mix.  If you don't have mini chocolate chips, chop them up smaller so they will stay in the dough better. Dough will be sticky.  Form 3/4" bite size balls.  Put into a container and refrigerate (then they won't be sticky.)  Makes approx 36 balls, but they'll go fast!    

GF Raspberry muffin cake

This actually tastes good and isn't crumbly like many gluten free muffins are.  Adapted from this recipe at www.eatnourishing.com. High protein so they're filling!

1/2 c coconut oil 
1/4 c butter 
3/4 c honey 
12 eggs 
2 tsp vanilla 
1/2 tsp sea salt 
1/2 tsp baking soda 
1 c coconut flour (can make this by blending unsweetened coconut shreds in the blender, but purchased flour is much more fine.) 
1/2 to 1 c fresh or frozen raspberries

Preheat oven to 325.  In a small saucepan, melt on low heat the coconut oil, butter and honey.  When just melted enough to mix, remove from heat.  Let cool for a few minutes. 

Meanwhile, crack eggs (yes 12 of them) into a large bowl.  Add vanilla and then mix in the honey mixture.  Mix the salt and baking soda into the coconut flour.  Slowly add coconut flour to egg mix while whisking constantly.  Pour into greased 9x13 pan.  Bake until center is set and edges are golden brown, approx 40-45 minutes.   (half batch takes 25-28 minutes.)  

Add about 1/2 to 1 c raspberries on top after you put the batter in. 

When cool, slice into squares.  Keep refrigerated.  I think.  

Variation:  Lemon Blueberry

Omit vanilla.  Add 1 TBS lemon juice plus 2 tsp lemon zest.  Add 1/2 to 1 c blueberries instead of raspberries.  

Chicken and Veggie Noodle Stirfry

Very tasty, quick dish! 

Marinade:
1-1/2 c. chicken broth
2/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
4-5 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1-1/2 TBS cornstarch
3 large chicken breasts, boneless/skinless, cut into thin strips/chunks

Olive oil
5-6 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups asparagus pieces or broccoli
2 cups celery slices
1 package maifun noodles, or 1 package broken spaghetti noodles  (use GF noodles if desired)

Combine marinade ingredients in a bowl.  Pour out 1-1/2 cups of marinade.  Add the cornstarch to that and whisk to blend.  Set that aside.  Put chicken into a ziploc bag and pour the remaining marinade on top.  Mix it around and put in the refrigerator to marinate for 30 minutes (or more.)

Meanwhile, cut up veggies.  Cook noodles.

Drain the chicken (throw away marinade) and stir fry it in a little oil for 5-7 minutes until cooked through.  Remove from pan.  Stir fry veggies 5-6 minutes until crisp tender.  Add the reserved cornstarch marinade to the veggies and stir till thickened.  Next add the noodles.  Stir, then add chicken.

Variation on Veggies: 
Julienned-sliced carrots
Chopped broccoli
Sliced onions
Bean sprouts
Snow peas

This recipe was adapted from a Taste of Home recipe.

Buttermilk Cornbread

This is really, really good... 

2 c. cornmeal
2 c. whole wheat pastry flour
4 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt 
4 eggs
1-1/2 c buttermilk (or add 2 TBS vinegar to 1-1/2 c milk)
1/2 c. honey
1/2 c. oil (olive, coconut, melted butter, etc) 

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl, and wet ingredients in a medium bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry and stir till just combined.

Prepare a 15x10x1 jelly roll pan by pouring 2 TBS oil on bottom and spreading it around.  (You could use a 9x13 pan, but I don't like to wait that long.  Or make 24 muffins.)  Pour batter onto pan and spread until it covers the whole pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 12-15 minutes.

Some time I'll plan ahead and trying this in a soaked version to make it more digestible!  

Two Kinds of Coconut Fudge

This was my attempt to get more raw coconut oil into our diet.  Our hands are getting so dried out in the winter time, and when I take more coconut oil internally, I don't get the bleeding cracks.  My daughter's hands are red and raw so she's excited to try the candy cure.  Both are is delicious!  To keep ingredients raw, you've gotta soften the coconut oil and raw honey. 


In the summertime, my coconut oil is already soft.  But in the wintertime, you have to put the jar in a put of warm/hot water to soften it.  To soften raw honey, bring a pot of water to a boil.  Remove the pot from the heat.  Then put the honey in the pot and let it sit. 

 Choco Coconut Fudge 

1 c.  raw, unrefined, virgin, etc coconut oil, softened
1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. raw honey, softened  (or more, to taste.  Can also use agave)
1 c. almonds
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt 

Blend up soaked/dehydrated raw almonds  (best choice if you've got them) in the food processor until almonds were in very small pieces.   You can keep the almonds chunkier if you like. 
Mix together all the  ingredients.  Pour onto parchment paper in 8x8 pan and spread out.  Put in fridge.  When hardened, cut into squares.  Store in refrigerator.


Vanilla Maple Coconut Fudge

1 c. coconut oil
1/4 c. maple syrup (could do all maple syrup if desired)
1/4 c. honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt 

Mix ingredients.  Pour onto parchment paper and into 8x8 pan.  Refrigerate.  You may need to stir occasionally as it is hardening.  Once hardened, cut into squares and store in fridge.