28 August 2012
This is a wonderfully easy and delicious side dish or snack: chopped potatoes, onion slices, minced garlic, fresh or dried parsley, coarse Celtic sea salt, and pepper – all baked in a pan coated in coconut oil at 400°F, until golden with crispy edges.
24 August 2012
Our grapevines are covered in ripe fruit! There’s nothing like sun-warmed concord grapes straight off the vine. Soon we’ll be turning these delicious clusters into grape jelly, sweetened with coconut sugar.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”
—John 15:4-5
3 August 2012
Can you smell the cinnamon? These delicious treats are perfect for breakfast or dessert!
We first had Elana’s Cinnamon Bun Muffins a year ago while we were staying with our friend Christie and her family. (Christie is a wonderful hostess and cook, by the way!)
This is our adapted and doubled recipe of Elana’s recipe…
Gluten-Free Cinnamon Muffins
GLUTEN-Free, GRAIN-Free, DAIRY-Free | Yield: 18 muffins
Muffins:
2 cups almond flour, blanched
1/4 cup coconut flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey
6 eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
Cinnamon Topping:
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons cinnamon
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
For Muffins: Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix the wet ingredients in a large bowl. Blend the dry blend into the wet. Scoop ¼ cup spoonfuls into lined muffin cups.
For Cinnamon Topping: Blend ingredients together.
For Baking: Drop the cinnamon topping on the filled muffin cups, and swirl mixture with a knife. Bake muffins at 350°F for 12-18 minutes, or until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean.
Let cool on rack. Enjoy!
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10 July 2012
Years ago, Mum would make cookies from the recipe on the back of Toll House’s Chocolate Chip bag. We would spread the dough out in a pan, and lick the leftover dough from spoons while waiting for the oven to do its masterful work.
After the cookie had cooled (okay, rarely did we wait that long), we would cut it into squares. What fond memories I have of sitting with my sister, napkins in hand, eating warm, melty chocolate chip cookies!
Having been gluten-free for over two years and dairy-free for several months now, those favorite food-related childhood memories still linger in the back of my mind.
Thanks to a friend and her lovely pinboards, I came across a recipe… and it reminds me of those Toll House cookie-eating days from years ago.
(Below is our revised version of Michele’s recipe, who had revised Elana’s recipe.)
Chocolate Chip Cookie Squares
GLUTEN-Free, GRAIN-Free, DAIRY-Free
2 ½ cups almond flour (we use Honeyville)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons coconut sugar (we use Madhava)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup Enjoy Life (dairy-free) chocolate chips
In a bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a second bowl, combine wet ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
Place dough on parchment paper atop a baking sheet or stone. Form dough with your hands into a circle or square.
Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown. Let the large cookie cool for about 10-15 minutes (great time to practice patience!) and cut into squares.
Enjoy!
25 May 2012
Have you ever had one of those chocolate oranges that you crack and eat in orange-slice-shape pieces? Image that flavor, only in a cake-brownie. Delicious! This is a wonderful gluten-free/grain-free/dairy-free dish to share with guests – they won’t even notice the difference.
And, as if it couldn’t get any better, it’s healthy…
Chocolate Orange Torte
GLUTEN-Free | GRAIN-Free | DAIRY-Free
1/2 cup blanched almond flour (we use Honeyville)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
3 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips (we use Enjoy Life‘s dairy-free chips)
5 drops orange essential oil (we use Young Living because it is pure and safe to ingest) or 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract
In a bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients except the chocolate chips. Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and stir until well combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Poor batter into a well-oiled 10-inch spring-form pan. Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool.
Enjoy!
This is our version of Elana’s Double Chocolate Orange Torte.
26 March 2012
Have you ever planted seeds in eggshells? This spring we’re trying a new-to-us way of starting seeds inside. We’ve tried other ways in the past, all to no avail – this time we’re hoping the story will end with a “happily ever after” (plants growing strong, maturing, and bearing fruit in season).
The process of planting was most enjoyable. (Excepting, of course, for the centipede squirming around in the bucket of dirt.) A few easy-to-come-by “ingredients” were needed:
- Eggshells & Egg-trays
- Bucket of dirt
- Seeds
- Water
We filled the shells in the kitchen – and even our dog Bently seemed to enjoy the process by sneaking a few bites of dirt. (Perhaps he’s low on some minerals?)
Following is a pictorial version of the seed-planting process…
A hole was poked into the bottom of each one so that any excess water could drain. When it comes time to transplant them to the garden, we will simply crunch the shell so that the roots can exit and plant the whole thing.
It’s fascinating to think that something as small as a seed will grow into many meals come summertime. God works wonders!
Have you started planting your garden? Do you start your seeds inside or outside?
16 February 2012
I had my doubts about this one. Hamburger – yes! Quiche – yes! But, spinach? In a quiche?
It wasn’t until two years ago when I went gluten-free that I started branching out of the standard American diet (which, in my case, was almost veggie-free).
My mindset when it comes to food has entirely changed since then. The Lord has amazingly adjusted my appetite and attitude towards nutritious eating. But there are still occasional times (such as when it came to a spinach quiche) where I wonder – can that really be good?
But this recipe, like so many up to this point, proved my hesitation wrong.
This is delicious! A new family favorite. It may even make it onto our weekly menu. We’ll see.
Hesitating? Go ahead – try this recipe and enjoy! (Updated link – we simply leave out the crust, making it wonderfully gluten-free!)
27 October 2011
We were able to pick up several old apple crates from the orchard. They each will come in most handy, whether for storing fruits and vegetables, posing as a bookshelf, equipment holder for photography outings, or simply a beautifully textured prop for a photo-shoot!
See the favorite shot from this shoot here.
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