Breads And Muffins

3 Ingredient Buckwheat Galettes (Buckwheat Pancakes) with vegan option

August 13, 2012 By Adrienne 59 Comments

One of the biggest challenges to being a gluten free family is having affordable bread alternatives around so you can easily throw together a quick meal or a snack.

Today’s recipe, Buckwheat Galettes (or Buckwheat Pancakes) is one recipe in our home that has become a staple. They make a great gluten free wrap that is so much less expensive than those “priced through the roof” wraps in health food stores.

They mix up quickly and simply, store well, travel well and are a super flexible background for meals and quick snacks.

And my kids love them.

Hope you do too:-).

On the Road with Special Diets ~ and Focaccia Flax Bread (gluten-free with vegan option) {Balanced Platter}

June 28, 2012 By Adrienne 5 Comments

Are you or a loved one on a special diet?

If so, you know how hard it can be to travel.

Stopping at fast food places, eating at restaurants, and the like can be very difficult.

Whether or not you are on or know someone on a special diet, join me today over at The Balanced Platter where I’m sharing some of my favorite foods to take on the road (not that we get there very often ).

If special diets are a part of your life, this post will hopefully make traveling easier for you.

And if they’re not a part of what you deal with, I think your next trip will be a little more wholesome.

Enjoy …..to continue reading, click here.

Filed Under: Appetizers, Breads and Muffins, Candida, food allergies, Health Concerns, Recipes

Healthy Meals Your Kids Will Love to Eat!

March 22, 2012 By Adrienne 4 Comments

Getting your kids to eat healthy can be like tough.

Especially when their barraged by commercials touting the:

latest fast food fad
cartoon-sponsored fake fruit, or
heated, slurried and molded cereal shape

Well, I’m hoping to give you a little oasis in the middle of your desert of food prep for your hungry munchkins.

And of course, these all are yummy enough to be enjoyed by adults too!

So pull up a cuppa something. (Maybe my Delicious and Healthy Coffee Substitute?) and hop on over to The Balanced Platter where I am sharing a roundup of great Healthy Meals Your Kids Will Love to Eat.

You’ll save money at the grocery store, have some fun, and get some smiles too. Sounds good? Just click here to join me and read more.

Shared at Sorta Crunchy, The Nourishing Gourmet, Real Food Freaks, Grocery Cart Challenge, Your Thriving Family, The Finer Things in Life, The Shabby Nest, Food Renegade, Rattlebridge Farm, Real Food Whole Health, Jill Conyers, Comfy in the Kitchen, Thirty Handmade Days, A Southern Fairytale, My Sweet and Savory, Delightfully Dowling, Ruth’s Real Food, The Girl Creative, The Healthy Home Economist, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, The Prairie Homestead, C.R.A.F.T., Craft-O-Maniac, Keeping it Simple, The DIY HSHP, Today’s Creative Blog, Beauty and Bedlam, Real Food Forager, Permanent Posies, At Home with K, Rook No. 17, Premeditated Leftovers, Cooking Traditional Foods, Learning the Frugal Life, Time Warp Wife, Far Above Rubies, Not Just a Housewife, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Sugar Bee Crafts, Naptime Creations, Coastal Charm, Chef in Training, Blessed with Grace, Hope Studios, The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Peel, The Trendy Tree House, The Thrifty Home, Gluten-Free Homemaker, Raising Homemakers, This Chick Cooks, We Are that Family, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Sugar and Dots, Frugally Sustainable, Day 2 Day Joys, Ginger Snap Crafts, Women Living Well, The Shabby Creek Cottage, Fireflies and Jellybeans, Tales from Bloggeritaville, Beyond the Picket Fence, House of Hepworths, Blue Cricket Design, Thrifty 101, and Gnowfglins.

Filed Under: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast and Brunch, Entrees, Recipes

Healthy Valentine's Progressive Dinner – Breakfast!

February 9, 2012 By Adrienne 17 Comments

The countdown to Valentine’s Day continues.

My son asked me the other day, “Mom, is Valentine’s Day really a special holiday – because it doesn’t seem like it is to me – you know, like Thanksgiving.”

Well, I said, “In one sense, you are right. Thanksgiving is more important. But it truth, Valentine’s Day is important in that it’s a reminder that we should be showing love to those who are near and dear to us (I said something close to that .”

And I mean it. I think that, like all other holidays, it’s been changed and manipulated into something that it shouldn’t be.

To me, Valentine’s Day isn’t:

A box of chocolates
A bunch of roses that will die soon anyway
A reason to feel bad about yourself if you don’t have a “special someone in your life”

But instead, it’s a day when we can take the time to celebrate our love for others.

Lots of ways to do it, but one surefire way is to make some goodness in the kitchen for your loved ones.

Yesterday I shared some great healthy beverage ideas from other members of Nourished Living Network and today the yumminess continues.

With Breakfast .

What’s on the table?

Quick Drop Biscuit Recipe (gluten and dairy free options)

September 19, 2011 By Adrienne 76 Comments

Here is a great easy recipe for biscuits that can be made both gluten-free and dairy-free. These are one of the staples in our home.

As the weather starts to turn a bit cooler, my mind turns to baking again.

I used to bake so much. Too much probably. Ah well, there are worse things to spend one’s time on .

Anyway, I’ve been pulling my grain mill out again and we are all enjoying the taste of fresh baked goods again.

But time is still tight and I am juggling a lot. Being a wife, a mom, homeschooling, this blog, our special needs son, special diets, and still having physically rough days of adrenal fatigue. On those days not much gets done.

So I need fast recipes that can nourish my family without a bunch of fuss.

This is one of those.

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (with gluten-free and soaking option)

February 24, 2011 By Adrienne 13 Comments

This recipe for soaked and baked whole grain doughnuts is probably my family’s favorite sweet whole grain recipe.

Did I say, “probably”? Silly me. I made two batches yesterday, one with gluten and one without. Two of us (including yours truly) ate the gluten and sugar free version and well, there are very few of those left. This time, it was my oldest son who was guilty of over-indulgence. Typically I share that “honor” with him.

We took the gluten- and sugar-free version (see notes following the recipe) to a doughnut eating contest at a homeschool gathering recently. Somehow, we were able to suspend my gluten-free treasure on a string between the other doughnuts without it falling apart into crumbly nothingness.

My daring husband entered himself in the contest and there he was, coming in second amongst a crowd of men eating those lightweight, devoid of all nutrients, processed rings of nothingness. Yes, in my humble opinion, he should have won. One of my doughnuts clearly by weight and amount-of-chews-needed-to-make-before-you-swallow equalled 2-3 of theirs. But then, I’m really not that competitive .

Ah well, back to baking.

I have had this recipe for a long time and it is adapted from one by Sue Gregg in her Breakfasts cookbook. They are easy to make, don’t require any special pan, are not deep-fried, and are coated with just a slight bit of oil, milk, or water to make the delicious sweetened cinnamon topping stick. And they have a wonderful hearty texture and flavor to them.

Cinnamon Baked Doughnuts (with gluten-free and soaking option)

Ingredients: (See below for alternative measurements of grain, etc.)

4 1/2 c whole grain flour (use 5 1/2 if using spelt)
4 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt (I recommend Real Salt)
1/2 t nutmeg
1 t cinnamon
2 eggs (or alternative – See Homemade Egg Replacer)
1 c granulated sweetener
5 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
1 T apple cider vinegar or lemon juice added to milk or milk substitute to make a total of 1 c liquid)

Topping:

3 Tbsp granulated sweetener
1 t cinnamon (See my post on The Best Cinnamon Sugar – made healthier!)

Directions:

For soaking:

1. Combine the flour, sweeteners, fats, and liquids together (excluding the eggs. However, if you are using a powdered egg replacer, you can add the liquid that you would add to the recipe at this point in order to make the dough easier to handle). Let dough rest for 12-24 hours. Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

2. Roll out dough to approximately 1/2″ thickness. Cut with doughnut cutter (this one is really nice). Or alternatively, shape into desired shapes. Brush tops with melted coconut oil, milk, milk substitute, or water. Sprinkle with topping.

3. Bake at 425 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

4. Try not to eat them all in one sitting!

Alternatives and notes:

You may find that you need to be flexible with the amount of flour that you use for this recipe depending on the grain that you choose. You will want a very stiff dough that is not wet at all, like a shortbread. For spelt, you will probably need about 5 1/2 cups. For other grains, you will have to play with it to see what works, but you do not want a runny gooey dough.
For gluten-free flours, use 25% more baking powder and soda. I typically use whatever I happen to have on hand. Yesterday I used 3 c sweet brown rice flour with 1 1/2 cups sorghum with success. I had to increase the liquid to about 1 1/2 cups to make it pliable, however.
For a sugar free version, a mixture of 1/2 xylitol and 1/2 erythritol for the granulated sweetener works great.

Non-soaking Method:

Just mix the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wets in the other. Then add the dries to the wets. Continue with the recipe directions. But you can really step things up a bit in the health department by soaking the grains for at least 12 hours. You really will get a serious workout for your arms with the soaking method, but then you’ll get two health benefits at once ! Let me know how they turn out!

Interested in other Gluten Free Yummy Treats? How about:

- “Almond Joy” Bars
- Grain Free Coconut Macadamia Cookies
- Super Pumpkin Cookies (taste like store bought)
- Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Oh, and if you happen to link through to Amazon.com to see this doughnut cutter that I use, and then purchase that or something else from them within 24 hours (other restrictions apply, but they are really strict), I earn a very small commission. You pay the same price, so I’d be happy if you choose to do so and so support my site. Just so you know how these links work .

This post is linked to Fight Back Friday, The Humbled Homemaker, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, and Bake with Bizzy.

Filed Under: Breads and Muffins, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks

Applesauce Wheat Germ Muffins (with gluten-free option)

February 13, 2011 By Adrienne 4 Comments

These muffins are a favorite in our family for a number of reasons. One of them is they are delicious. Another is that the recipe comes from a dear friend. Margaret is a wonderful hostess who likes to cook simply and have people over often. She will have you into her house even though it isn’t perfect –and she doesn’t expect yours to be either. In fact, Margaret and her husband, David, have been known to phone us while driving though Grand Rapids just to tell us that they are in town in the hopes that they can drop by. Sometimes they have even called us from our driveway! Now that’s my kind of friend!

Margaret is, like a lot of us, very busy–she has five children and she is very active in ministry. She doesn’t like to cook much and so her recipes tend to be simple. These muffins are no exception. You will probably have much of what you need in your pantry to make these so you can whip up a batch at a moment’s notice anytime. You could also choose to bake multiple batches because they freeze well, though muffin baking experts say that mixing more than 1-2 batches at a time will result in an inferior product because their texture depends upon not too much stirring of the batter.

They work great as regular or mini muffins, or you can try my favorite time saving method by baking them on a baking stone as muffin tops! That saves the time-intensive cleaning of muffin tins.

I hope that you enjoy them as much as we do!

Applesauce Wheat Germ Muffins (with gluten-free option)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole grain flour (or whole grain gluten-free blend of your choice)
1 cup toasted wheat germ (for gluten-free diets, substitute rice bran)
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
(If using gluten-free flour, increase baking powder and soda by 25%)
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup raisins

1 large egg
1/2 cup light brown sugar (I use Sucanat)
1/3 cup oil
1 cup applesauce, unsweetened
1/2 cup milk or milk substitute

Topping:
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix first set of ingredients (flour through raisins) together. Mix second set of ingredients (egg through milk). Add dry ingredients to wet. Drop into 12 greased muffin cups. Sprinkle topping evenly over all.
Bake in 350 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes or until centers test dry with a knife or cake tester.

Enjoy with a cup of tea, your family members or a friend or two, and make sure that you don’t clean up too much before you invite a friend over to enjoy them!

Filed Under: Breads and Muffins, Gluten Free, Recipes, Snacks

Teff Waffles or Pancakes With Caramelized Bananas

December 24, 2010 By Adrienne 12 Comments

(Sorry — no photo yet. I hope to get one up soon !)

This recipe is my modification of one from Lorna Sass’ wonderful cookbook, Whole Grains Every Day, Every Way. There’s more about Lorna in my post on Pressure Cooking and I’m sure that I will be adding more about her in the not too distant future.

This recipe is absolutely fabulous.

They have an almost chocolatey flavor that really is deeply satisfying.

The only trouble with these waffles is that if you are egg-free (like we are–due to my oldest’s life-threatening allergy), they can be a bit hard (or near impossible) to wrestle off of the waffle iron. I have to work on this recipe again to see if I can get a high-performing egg-free version, so we’ll see.

If you don’t feel like wrestling, you can just make these into pancakes. They still taste great and are a lot quicker!

Teff is a very high protein grain. Most people don’t have much experience with it, but we have really enjoyed it in our household. I hope that you do as well! These would be a great option for a special breakfast. Or make several batches and freeze them for easy meals and snacks later! We use pancakes as bread for making Homemade Nut or Seed Butter sandwiches for healthy and inexpensive meals on the run.

Teff Waffles or Pancakes and Caramelized Bananas

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c teff flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder (See my Homemade Corn and Aluminum-Free Baking Powder)
1 T healthy sweetener (granulated or liquid)
1/2 tsp natural salt (I recommend Real Salt)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 eggs, or equivalent substitute like my Powdered Egg Replacer
1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cup buttermilk (I substitute 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus additional milk substitute to equal this amount of liquid)
6 Tbsp melted coconut oil (or other healthy fat)
1 tsp molasses (optional) You can use additional candida friendly sweetener if desired)

Mathod

1) Mix teff through cinnamon in large bowl.

2) Mix the remaining ingredients in a separate bowl.

3) Add the wets to the dries. Start with the 1 1/4 cups of the buttermilk and add the additional 1/4 cup if the mixture is too thick.

4) Drop onto pre-heated skillet or waffle iron prepared according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Serve with Caramelized Bananas if desired. Here’s how –

Split 3 large bananas in half lengthwise and cook in 3 Tbsp coconut oil with 3 Tbsp granulated sweetener. Cook for 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat. Flip and cook on other side for 2 minutes. Serve on top of waffles or pancakes. Yum!

I hope you love these. I’ll hopefully have a few more teff recipes to share with you soon!

Have you ever heard of or tried teff?

This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase I may make a small commission which helps with the cost of running this free resource. Thank you for your support!

Filed Under: Breads and Muffins, Breakfast and Brunch, Recipes

Oat Bran Muffins (low carb, gluten free with sugar free option)

December 15, 2010 By Adrienne 33 Comments

Looking for a low carb muffin that’s super easy? Here’s your answer!

In our household we go back and forth between making these sweetened and unsweetened. Either version is delicious. You really can’t mess up this recipe. In fact the last time I made them I added too much liquid and added no sweetener or vanilla or cinnamon. I had to cook them a bit longer since they were more moist, but my kids said that they tasted better than usual! And with no sweetener – imagine that!

We purchase our organic oat bran from Country Life Natural Foods in Pullman, Michigan. Very reasonable healthy food and a very friendly company!

We really like these with nut or seed butter and a bit of candida-friendly yacon syrup. Yum!

This recipe is revised version of one found on Whole Approach. That site was such a support to me when I first started dealing with systemic candida in our household.

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