Candy’s Calzone Recipe (Gluten Free, Grain Free, Vegan, Paleo)

Candy’s Calzone Recipe

Ingredients:

1 ½ C warm water (110⁰F)

1 T honey (or maple syrup for vegan)

2 T instant yeast

6 egg whites (or 3/4 C aquafaba or vegan yogurt for vegan)

2 t apple cider vinegar

½ C extra virgin olive oil

480 g (2 C) tapioca starch (plus more as needed)

192 g potato starch 

100g almond flour 

1 T salt (I use Himalayan Pink)

1 t baking powder

Gluten Free:

158 g brown rice flour

Grain Free:

120 g (½ C) teff flour

60 g (½  C) cassava flour

Filling:

8 oz Ricotta cheese (or Kite Hill vegan Ricotta)*

1 egg (or 2 T almond milk for vegan)

2-4 C mozzarella cheese (Miyokos vegan fresh mozzarella)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to lowest setting and then turn off after it reaches about 120⁰.

Add honey to warm water and stir.  Add yeast and gently stir again and then let sit for 5 minutes or so as you work the flour and egg whites.

Beat the egg whites or aquafaba on high speed in a large mixing bowl until firm. (Skip this step if using yogurt.)

Whisk the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Add the oil and vinegar to your yeast mixture then add your liquid ingredients to the egg whites/aquafaba/yogurt. Mix on low for a few seconds to incorporate ingredients.

Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix on low until there is no more dry flour then mix on high for a minute.  Dough should be coming off the sides of the bowl.  It will be wetter than normal gluten dough. If it is too wet and looks like batter, slowly add additional tapioca until it is coming off the sides of the bowl.  This is more likely to be necessary with the grain free version than the gluten free version.  

Oil the bowl that your flour was in and put your dough back in the bowl.  

Cover with a towel and place in warm, but not hot, oven to rise for about 30 minutes to an hour. (You can warm oven up to lowest setting then turn off. Open door for a few seconds and then place dough in oven.)

Remove dough from oven and heat oven to highest setting.

Divide dough into 8 pieces. Place one dough ball on a piece of parchment and press out gently with your fingers to form a round, flat circle, thin but not transparent.

Mix egg with ricotta (or almond milk with vegan ricotta). I also add about 1/4t salt, 1/4t garlic powder and 1/2t Italian seasoning but some people like their ricotta plain. 

Place ricotta on one side of the circle, leaving about an inch around the edge. Add meat, veggies and mozzarella. Make sure pointy things, like onions, are on the bottom so they don't break through the dough. Gently take the other side of the circle under the parchment and fold it over onto the top. Use a fork or your fingers to press the edges together. At this point, we take some melted butter or dairy substitute, to which we've added some garlic powder, and gently paint this on to all the outside dough that is visible.

Put entire thing, including the parchment paper, onto your pizza stone and cook for about 10 minutes. Watch it carefully to make sure that it does not burn.

Remove from oven and do the same for the remaining seven dough balls.

These can also be partially cooked and frozen for future dinners.

*We also have used vegan cream cheese mixed with some herbs and salt, in place of vegan ricotta. 

                   

Natural Protocol for Group B Strep

Let me start by saying, once again, that I am not a doctor, in any way, shape or form.  As a mother of 4, I've been around the birth block a few times and for my last birth, I opted on a homebirth.  I had tested GBS positive for my 3 previous births and subsequently, was pumped full of antibiotics which wreaked havoc on my system and my baby's.  So, for the last birth, I decided not to even be tested, although the probability was high that I would also be positive this time.  I began researching the safest ways of going about this and then pieced together some things that midwives had had success with and I began taking this protocol about 4 weeks before the birth.  I am sharing this as something that worked for me.  I had no internal exams, whatsoever, before my daughter arrived in this world.  I ate healthy, took the protocol and hoped for the best.  We had no issues, thankfully, and I would definitely go this route again.  However, if you are considering taking the same path I took, I encourage you to do your own research.  Thoroughly exam the risks, as well as the benefits, and decide for yourself if this is something you feel comfortable doing.  We were already living a more natural lifestyle at that point and all my children were relatively healthy.  I had never had any complications in my pregnancies or deliveries.  It worked for me.  Wishing you the best and a safe, healthy, happy delivery!

Daily GBS Regimen

(Start 4-6 weeks before due date)

EHB: 1 capsule 4x/day

Vitamin C: 500mg 4x/day

Propolis: 1 capsule 4x/day

Silver: 1 tsp 3x/day between meals

Primal Defense: 2 pill 3x/day before meals

Tea Tree/Lavender externally each night starting 2 weeks before due date

More information that I saved but because it was over 13 years ago, I'm not sure where it came from:


EHB by NF Formulas given over a 10 day period (6 caps per day) (E.H.B. by NF Formulas, Inc.), and Tea tree oil vaginal suppositories 3 to 4 x daily for that time (see above). This mom was re-tested at two weeks after positive culture (3 to 4 days after last EHB taken), two weeks after that (2 1/2 weeks after first positive culture), and on one occasion was tested again 2 1/2 weeks later (5 weeks after positive culture) because of a prolonged ROM with no labor.

Another midwife had a case of a mom's GBS culture at 36 weeks yielded a result of 2+ colonization, which was the same at 38 weeks. She had her take 500mg Vitamin C every 4 waking hours, 1 EHB (NF Formulas) capsule every 4 waking hours, Propolis 4x daily, and she inserted a tampon soaked in 2% Tea Tree oil solution (2% Tea Tree essential oil, 98% Olive oil). She left the tampon in for 4 hours each day for 6 days. Culture at 39 weeks was negative for GBS. She had a long labor, a high leak for 72 hours, then a rapid active phase and 2nd stage, healthy baby, normal placenta, and normal recovery. The midwife has become a believer in Tea Tree oil for a variety of infections, though in this case she believes it acted synergistically with the other natural therapies the mother used. She has used it as a spray on throat infections, as well as for vaginal yeast, trichomonas, and gardnerella, all with great success. Not much is seen about Tea Tree oil in midwifery literature, but it may well be worth a try for other GBS+ moms who are averse to standard antibiotic therapy.

·  Another recommendation for GBS:

1. Boost Vitamin C in your diet, such as eating 2 grapefruit per day. Other good sources of Vit C: red peppers, oranges, kiwi fruit.

2. Drink a cup of Echinacea tea or take 2 capsules of echinacea every day

3. Get extra sleep before midnight. Slow down your schedule. Take it easy and eat well. Follow a nutritious Pregnancy Diet.

4. Take 3 teaspoons of Colloidal Silver per day. Take it between meals. Hold the liquid in your mouth a few minutes before swallowing. Colloidal Silver can be purchased in most health food stores. It is silver suspended in water. It is antibiotic in nature and safe in pregnancy.

5. Plan ahead for extra warmth after the birth for both you and baby. Hot water bottles, heating pads, hot packs, and big towels dried in a hot dryer during the pushing phase--will all help you and baby keep extra toasty after birth and reduce stress. Have a friend or family member assigned to be in charge of the "Mother/baby warmth team".

6. The colostrum from your breasts is the best antibiotic treatment your baby could ever get. The colostrum is very important for your baby. Breastfeeding your baby is the best thing you can do to keep your baby healthy since you pass on your immunities to your baby through the breast milk.

7. Other good prevention tips: Keep vaginal exams to a minimum--0 is best. Do not permit artificial rupture of the membranes. After the membranes have broke, keep vaginal exams to a minimum, again 0 is best if possible. If not possible, use extreme care and sterile technique if an exam is absolutely necessary. Any exam has the possibility of introducing GBS into the cervix of the mother if she has a positive GBS test result. Do not allow children of other families to visit the new baby for the first 3 weeks. Keep your older kids healthy so they are not sneezing and coughing on new baby.

Easy Gluten-Free Protein Balls (Almond, Date, Coconut, Protein Powder)

My kid's love these!  They are a healthy, filling snack...great for the afternoon when everyone needs a little something to hold them over until dinner.  This is actually a recipe I made up myself and it is naturally gluten-free.  My husband loves to have 2 with his morning coffee.  You definitely won't feel like your "being good" while eating these, but you are!

Protein Balls (makes 30 large balls)

2 cups Almonds
1 cup Dates
1/2 cup cocoa (I prefer dark cocoa, natural is better for you than dutch or alkalized)
1/2 cup coconut oil (regular or extra virgin, whichever you prefer)
1/2 cup organic shredded coconut (unsweetened) + 1/4 cup for coating balls
2 scoops or about 4 T of protein powder (whey, soy, brown rice or pea, we use the 2 latter)
Stevia or maple syrup to taste
2 T almond milk (optional, if needed)

First, put your almonds in a food processor and process until they are fine crumbs.  Next, add the dates and process until they are completely mixed in.  Add the coconut oil, cocoa, coconut and protein powder and pulse until all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed together.  Taste a little tidbit and then add stevia or maple syrup as needed.  They will already have some sweetness from the dates but you may need a bit more.  These will harden up and not be so "greasy" looking once you put them in the fridge but if they seem too greasy or wet, you can add in a little more coconut or protein powder.  If the mixture seems too dry, I usually just add in a little almond milk or you could add more oil or maple syrup.  Once the mixture is sweetened to your taste, grab about 1 tablespoon or so and roll it into a ball.  Place some shredded coconut in a bowl or plastic bag and roll the almond ball in the coconut.  Place finished balls on a plate and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or longer to harden up then they can be placed in a storage container or plastic bag.  Makes about 30 large balls (like the ones pictured).  I keep mine in the fridge or freezer but they are tastiest at room temperature or even slightly warmed.  Grab a couple in the morning, put them in your bag and they will be perfect by the time you are feeling snacky, mid-morning.

Click here for printable recipe:  GF Protein Balls Printable Recipe

Gluten Free Hemp Bread

Gluten Free Hemp Bread

Today while carousing GF bread recipes and reading about the need for flours with high protein content, a light bulb went off.  I have some hemp protein powder sitting in my freezer from when my hubby was on an exercise kick and needed the protein for building muscle.  I browsed around for a hemp bread recipe and came across a recipe at http://fantastichemp.wordpress.com/hemp-recipes/gluten-free-vegan-hemp-bread/.  Although the recipe originally said gluten-free, it actually was not, as spelt is the primary flour used.  They have since changed the title of the recipe and I went to work actually making a gluten free, though not necessarily vegan, version.  So here you go, courtesy of FantasticHemp.
 
Gluten-Free Hemp Bread (adapted from FantasticHemp's Vegan Hemp Bread)

900 g all purpose gluten-free flour mix (I used 400g Bob's all purpose and 500g of my own blend)
50g hemp flour (I used hemp protein powder, 50% protein)
50g hemp seeds (or sunflower if you would prefer a larger, crunchier seed)
1 T xanthan gum (or physillum husk powder)
1 1/2 T kosher salt
3 1/2 C warm water
1 T organic sugar, agave or honey
2 T yeast
1/2 C olive oil
2 T apple cider vinegar
1 egg (or 1T flax + 3T water for vegan)

(My blend is: 4 C sorghum, 1 1/2 C brown rice, 2 C potato starch, 2 1/2 C cornstarch, 1 1/2 C tapioca starch, 1 1/2 C Expandex.  Brown rice and sorghum are interchangeable, as are potato and corn starch.  Regular tapioca starch can be substituted for the Expandex but you won't get the same results.  Thoroughly combine and store in air-tight container.)
Combine water, yeast and sugar in a bowl and let stand while you get the other components together.  Weigh out all dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.  Add olive oil, vinegar and egg to the water mixture and slowly add into the dry ingredients.  I use a stand mixer and let run for a few minutes (3-5 minutes).  Grease three 8x4 bread pans.  Divide the dough evenly among the 3 pans.  Dough will be wet, like a thick pancake batter.  Put in a warm, moist place to rise for about an hour.  (I heat a cup of water in the microwave for 2 minutes then put the pans in the microwave with the steamy cup and close the door.)
When the bread has just about risen to the top of  the pan, turn your oven on and heat to 350 degrees.  Put your loaves in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes.  Remove from oven when done and allow the bread to sit in the pan for 10 minutes before removing.  After 10 minutes have elapsed, run a butter knife or plastic spatula around the edges and remove bread to a cooling rack.  Allow to cool at least 30 minutes before cutting (an hour is better, but it's so hard to wait!)  Spread with a little organic butter and enjoy!

Printable Recipe here: Hemp Bread

Rosemary Focaccia

Rosemary Focaccia

My passion for bread baking began when I stumbled across a recipe adapted from Jim Lahey's no-knead bread recipe.  I read Jim's book and tried out some of his recipes and I was sold!  I loved this no-knead thing.  I wanted a way of making up more than one batch at a time and eventually picked up a copy of Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day.  Here you made up large batches and stored them away for up to 2 weeks!  The only problem was that ABin5 used way more yeast (2 T per 6 cups flour vs. 1/4 t per 3 cups flour in Jim's recipe).  So I decided to combine the two techniques.  I would mix up a large batch using only 1 teaspoon of yeast, let it sit out out for 12 hours and then refrigerate.  It would be Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes that would lead me to gluten-free baking.  I had friends with Celiac so I tried out the gluten-free recipes on them.  Of course, I immediately began adapting them so I would have gluten and gluten-free versions of the bread I was offering for sale at the co-op. 

The focaccia above comes courtesy of HBin5's Gluten-Free Olive Oil Bread recipe.  I mixed up a batch last night and made 3 baguettes.  I had maybe 1/2 pound left over so we put it in the fridge.  I got it out tonight, flattened it out on a piece of parchment then sprinkled it with course salt and rosemary, let it rest for 30 minutes or so then popped it in a 450 degree oven for 30 minutes.  My kids could not believe it was gluten-free.  The only variation from the recipe was I used 1/2 cup of olive oil and used half tapioca, half Expandex where it called for tapioca starch.

Be sure to check out http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com for more tasty gluten-free recipes or read the book Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and Zoe Francois.

Gluten Free Pumpkin Pie Brioche

I know most people are over their pumpkin pie cravings by now but for me, if it's cool outside, then it's still pumpkin baking time inside.  This is another recipe inspired by Healthy Bread in 5.  I made their Pumpkin Pie Brioche for the veggie co-op to rave reviews.  However, I had already gone gluten-free by that time and never got to taste it.  I determined that I would come up with a gluten-free version so I could see what all the hype was about.  I ended up making it 2 ways...a regular gf pumpkin pie brioche and a gf pumpkin pie brioche with candied pecans.  Yes...yes, I did say candied pecans and they are even better than you are imagining!  The regular makes great toast and even better french toast.  I also imagine it would make a really good bread pudding (I'm thinking with eggnog and rum).  The one with the candied pecans is great just by itself with a nice hot cup of tea, with cream and sugar, of course.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie Brioche (adapted from Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day)

820 g or 6 1/2 Cups all purpose gf blend (or equal parts sorghum, tapioca*, potato)
2 T or 1/2 t yeast**
1 T kosher salt
2 T xanthan gum
3 t pumpkin pie spice (or 2 t cinnamon, 1 t ground ginger, 1 t nutmeg)
1 1/4 cup milk (I use almond) or water
3 T dry milk powder (if using water)
4 large eggs
1/2 to 1 cup sugar, honey, agave (depending on how sweet you want this)
3/4 cup neutral flavored oil or melted unsalted butter
1 15 oz can of pumpkin puree
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top

*If you use or have Expandex on hand, substitute 1/2 the tapioca for Expandex
**If you want this now, use 2T yeast and you'll have bread in a few hours.  If you prefer to do a slow rise, use 1/2 t yeast and let sit out overnight, then refrigerate for up to 5 days or bake immediately.

Whisk together your dry ingredients in the bowl of your stand mixer (flour, yeast, salt, xanthan gum, spices, sugar, if using, dry milk powder, if using). 

Combine liquid ingredients (eggs, honey, if using, oil) with the pumpkin puree and slowly pour into the dry ingredients.  Mix with stand mixer with paddle attachment until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.  Cover (not air tight) and allow dough to rest for 2 hours if using 2T yeast or for 8-12 hours if using 1/2 t yeast.

When you are ready to bake, grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch nonstick loaf pan (or how ever many loaves you are making.  I usually do all my baking at once to save on electricity as the baked loaves freeze well, just pre-slice.)  Measure out 1.5lbs of dough into each pan.  Smooth out the top of each loaf and cover and allow to rest for 90 minutes, if using refrigerated dough, or 40 minutes if using fresh dough.  (I put mine in the microwave with a steaming cup of water.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Just before baking, sprinkle the top of each loaf with the raw sugar.  Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.  The loaf is done when caramel brown and firm.  Remove from oven and allow to sit in pan for 10 minutes (really...don't try to take it out earlier.  Set your timer for 10 minutes and then when it goes off, remove your bread, right then, don't get distracted and forget.  Too soon or too late and you will have a hard time getting that bread out!) then remove to a rack.  Allow to cool before slicing and eating.

**Variation**  Pumpkin Pie Brioche with Candied Pecans

To make the candied pecans, in a nonstick saucepan heat 3 T butter, 1/2 t cinnamon, 1/2 C sugar and 1 C of chopped pecans over medium heat for about 8 min until thick and bubbly. Spread out on a silicone mat or piece of parchment and cool in the fridge. Once cool, separate into little pieces and divide into 3 equal batches (I usually weigh out the whole batch and then divide equally).  If you don't use this all at once, store in the fridge or freezer (just don't eat it all before you bake the rest of your dough!)

When your dough is ready, measure out .75lbs of dough into the pan.  Take 1/2 of one of the batches and sprinkle on dough.  Gently press down then put in the other .75lbs of dough.  Sprinkle the other 1/2 of the batch on top, then press and cover with dough.  Most of the candy should be under the dough.  I usually do not add additional sugar to the top of the loaf when I bake it.

Best Gluten-Free Cornbread Ever!

It's been a while since I've done any posting.  I  wanted to get some recipes on here that people continually ask for.  One of those is my cornbread recipe.  I ALWAYS get compliments on it, the kids love it and many have asked for the recipe.  One friend even said it tasted just like his Grandma's!  Talk about the ultimate compliment.  The key to making this the BEST is using a cast iron skillet.  Preheating the skillet and oil make the edges crispy and delicious.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do!  (Dairy-free, corn-free and vegan options available.)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup gf flour*

1 cup organic yellow cornmeal~

½ cup organic sugar

½ t salt

1 T baking powder

2 (farm fresh or cage-free) eggs (or egg substitute for vegan)

1 ½ cup organic or dairy free milk∆

½ cup vegetable oil + 2 T for pan

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).  Place cast iron skillet# in oven to heat as oven preheats.  About 5 minutes before the oven reaches 400 degrees, add a couple tablespoons of oil to the skillet and return to oven until desired temperature is reached. 

2.  In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, xanthan gum and baking powder.  In a separate bowl, mix milk, egg and oil.  Stir wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined.  Remove skillet from oven, twirling around to make sure oil has coated entire bottom, and pour batter into skillet. 

3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

NOTES:

*I make my own GF all purpose flour by combining 48oz of brown rice flour, 24oz potato starch, 24oz tapioca starch and 16 oz almond flour.  Mix well and store in an air tight container.

~ Substitute almond flour for the corn meal for corn free.

∆I prefer to use sour milk.  You can make sour milk by simply mixing in a teaspoon of lemon juice or vinegar to whatever milk you are using or use that milk that has started to go bad!  I have used cow, goat and almond milk, all with great success. 

# If you do not have a cast iron skillet, spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan and do not preheat the pan.

Click here for printable version: Printable Best GF Cornbread Ever!

Gluten Free, Dairy Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies evoke memories of lazy childhood days, baking cookies and gobbling them up the minute they came out of the oven.  Hot and gooey and just right with a glass of milk.  Gluten free chocolate chip cookies can be a bit of a challenge, that is until you discover the secret to perfect, just like wheat, chocolate chip cookies.  Coconut Flour!  The great thing about coconut flour is that you don't have to use xanthan gum, that ingredient that newbie GF bakers seldom have and for others, the nemesis ingredient that causes stomach problems almost equal to a gluten attack.  Here is our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, courtesy of Let's Do...Organic Coconut Flour.  We have made only a few little changes.

WHEAT FREE CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

3/4 cup + 2 T brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut flour
1/2 t baking soda
1/8 t salt
8 T butter or non-dairy alternative (we sometimes use coconut oil)
1 cup organic sugar (or 1/2 cup white + 1/2 cup brown)
1 egg or egg substitute
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup walnuts or pecan pieces (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Blend together butter and sugar until fluffy and well mixed.  Beat in egg and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt.  Add this to the butter/egg mixture until smooth and well blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.  Drop the dough by spoonful onto pre-greased cookie sheets spaced about 2 inches apart.  Bake 8-12 minutes or until brown around the edges.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 2 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.  Makes 24 cookies.

*The cookies pictured above were made with coconut oil.  They do bake up a little differently but are just as good!  Enjoyed them with a glass of unsweetened, original almond milk for a dairy-free delight!

The original recipe does not include salt.  These just aren't the same without it.  Also, we don't use as much sugar as the recipe calls for.  These are still plenty sweet with 3/4 cup of sugar.  We also use about 1/2 the chocolate chips, more like 1/2 cup, sometimes a little more, depending on your chocolate craving that day!

Printable recipe here: Printable Wheat Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Laura's Banana Cake Gluten Free

Laura's Banana Cake Gluten Free

Early in my married life, I would delight in the sweet treats made by a family friend.  One of these was Banana Cake.  She gave me the recipe and I typed it onto an index card and put it in a little picture album where it has remained to this day.  Actually, it is the only recipe from my early days that I still use on a regular basis.  Upon going gluten-free, I knew this was one thing I would NOT be giving up so I tried it, substituting regular flour for my gluten-free blend, and it turned out great!  So anytime you've got some leftover bananas that are past that "just right to eat" stage,  bake up this yummy dessert.

Laura's Banana Cake

1 1/2 C sugar
2/3 C butter or butter substitute
2 eggs (slightly beaten)
1/2 C sour milk*
1 t vanilla
2 C gluten free flour**
1/2 t xanthan gum or ground flax seed
1 t baking soda
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1 C smashed bananas

Glaze:
 1 C powdered sugar
1 1/2 T butter
1 t vanilla
Sour cream (start with a couple tablespoons and add more as needed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 9 x 13 pan.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, cream butter and sugar until well combined.  Add eggs, milk and vanilla.  In a separate bowl (I use the measuring cup I used to measure the milk), smash bananas until there are no more large chunks.  In yet another bowl, mix dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients alternately with bananas, ending with flour.  Bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out dry.  While your cake is baking, mix up glaze and refrigerate until your ready to use.  When mixing glaze, you want a loose consistency.  This is not a thick icing.  If you are using a thick sour cream (I use yogurt in a pinch), you can use milk after the initial sour cream to loosen it up a bit.  Once your cake is completely cool, pour on glaze, spread over entire cake and sprinkle with finely chopped walnuts.  I'll post a picture the next time I make it.

*If you don't have any sour milk, sour milk by adding 1 t of vinegar or lemon juice to regular milk.  Any type of milk will work.  I usually use almond or goat.  You can also add a little yogurt or kefir to the milk instead.  In a pinch, I have used yogurt instead of the milk.

** I make my own GF all purpose flour by combining 48oz of brown rice flour, 24oz potato starch and 24oz tapioca starch.  For a lighter blend, add an additional 24oz of starch.  Mix well and store in an air tight container.

Printable Version: Laura's Banana Cake

Gluten Free German Apple Pie Pancake (Pannekoeken) is not just for breakfast!

In fact, we rarely eat it for breakfast, though I'll admit we did one weekend when we had company.  My friend replied, "I think this is a first.  Ice cream with breakfast!"  I always figure, if your going to occassionally eat bad, do it early so you have a chance to burn if off throughout the day instead of eating it right before you go to bed.  Works for me.  Anyways, saw a pannekoeken on Drivers, Dine-Ins and Dives one night (my husband watches, not me!) and I thought, I've got to have one of those!  So I googled a recipe but it wasn't quite what we wanted so we modified, modified, modified and here you have the finished product.  I will link to the original gluten recipe so you can try it as originally written if you so desire.  We like it with a thicker pancake and lots of apples and cinnamon.  If you want a thinner pancake, reduce the pancake batter by 1/2.  You can use any gluten free all purpose blend, I use my own, of course, but this recipe does not require xanthan gum.   

Gluten Free German Apple Pie Pancake (Pannekoeken)

8 apples (or enough to fill up the bottom of your cast iron skillet), peeled, cored and sliced
2 t ground cinnamon (more or less to taste)
1/2 t nutmeg
1 C organic sugar (or 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C maple syrup)
1/2 C butter or non-dairy substitute
1 C milk
6 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
1 C gf all purpose flour
1 t sugar
Powdered sugar, whipped cream or ice cream for topping

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place apples in pan.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg.  Add butter and sugar.  Turn heat to medium and cook until slightly soft, about 6 to 8 minutes.

Apples cooking

While apples are cooking, prepare the batter.  Mix the milk, vanilla and eggs in a bowl.  Add the flour, sugar and salt and whisk to remove most of the lumps.


Add the batter all at once to middle of the pan then ever so slightly, swirl the apple mixture through the batter. You do NOT want it completely mixed in.  Cook until small bubbles form around the edge.

Batter has been poured in

Finish cooking in the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes.  To serve, you can invert onto a plate (better idea if you used less batter) or serve directly out of the pan (if you made as written).  Add your topping of choice and enjoy!

Finished product!  YUM!!!

Recipe based on this recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/pannekoeken-apple-pie-pancake-german-478280

Printable Version Here: Gluten Free German Apple Pie Pancake

Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipes...

Favorite Chocolate Cake Recipes...

Recently, I had the need for a good chocolate cake recipe.  Easy, basic, just like the box cakes I would have made for a special occasion in times past, only homemade and gluten free.  I happened upon a couple which have been a huge success with only minor variations.

The first was from Food.com.  You can find the original recipe here:  Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

I will print it with my variations here:

Easy GF Chocolate Cake

1 1/2 C GF Flour Blend
1 C Cocoa (or 1/2 C cocoa + 1/2 C chocolate chips)
1/2 t baking soda
2 1/2 t baking powder (use 1T total when doubling)
1 1/2 t xanthan gum
3/4 C salted butter (or add 1/2 t salt with unsalted butter)
1 1/2 C organic sugar
3 large eggs
2 T mayonaisse (or 2 yolks)
2 t vanilla
1 1/2 C buttermilk (or sour milk)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan.  In a medium size bowl, add flour, cocoa, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda and whisk together.  In the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter until creamy . Slowly add the sugar and whip until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, then mix in mayo.  Add the vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and alternately add the flour mixture and the buttermilk. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake is springy to the touch.

I topped this with a butter cream frosting found here: Butter-cream Frosting

* I convert this to a yellow cake by subbing another 1/2 C flour and 1/2 C whey protein in place of the cocoa. 

Printable version here: Easy GF Chocolate Cake

The second was from Gluten-Free-Girl herself.  She was modifying a recipe from Pioneer Woman.

I followed the recipe as written with the only variation being that I used my flour blend in place of the flours she recommended and I did not use guar gum.  I just used the 2 t of xanthan gum the recipe called for.  You can find that recipe here:  Texas Sheet Cake Gluten Free

For my flour blend, look here: Earthmama's GF Flour Blend

The Easy GF Chocolate Cake recipe works great as a sheet cake or cup cakes.  You can make the cupcakes up in advance and freeze them for later. 

Crusty Gluten-Free Bread

Adapted from Shauna Ahern's Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups (227g/8oz) potato starch

1 1/4 cups (100g/3.5oz) almond flour

2/3 cup (85g/3oz) oat flour (make sure it's certified gluten free)

1/2 cup (85g/ 3oz) gf flour blend

1 tablespoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 1/3 cups warm water (about 110 degrees)

2 large eggs (or egg substitute*)

1/4 cup evoo 

1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)

1 tablespoon olive oil for oiling bowl

 

1. Mixing the dry ingredients.

Put the potato starch, almond flour, oat flour, and gf flour into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whirl them up together for a moment. (If you don't have a stand mixer, sift the flours together into a large bowl.) Add the yeast and salt. Stir to combine.

2. Adding the wet ingredients.

Pour the warm water, eggs, oil, and honey into the dry ingredients. Mix with the paddle attachment (or with a large spoon if you are mixing by hand) for a few moments until the dough has fully come together. It will be soft. It will sort of slump off the paddle. Don’t worry. That’s the right texture. 

3. Letting the bread dough rise.

Put the dough into a large bowl lined with parchment paper.  Cover the bowl with a clean cloth, then set in a warm place in the kitchen. Let the dough rise until it has doubled in size, about 2 hours. The risen dough will have a texture closer to traditional bread dough than the unrisen dough had.

4. Preparing to bake.

At the end of the rising time, turn the oven to 500 degrees F.  If cooking directly in Dutch oven, put a cast-iron Dutch oven into the oven to come to heat. If cooking directly on a pizza stone, cut the dough in half and form two small boules (rustic-looking oval loaves). Make three 1/4-inch deep cuts with a serrated knife on the top of the dough.

5. Baking the bread.

If you have a pizza stone, put the loaves directly onto the pizza stone. If using the Dutch oven, when the Dutch oven has been heating for 30 minutes, take it out of the oven, carefully.  Gently lift the parchment paper containing the dough out of the bowl and place it into the Dutch oven. Tuck the edges of the paper into the pot, cover, and slip it back into the hot oven. Bake for at least 30 minutes, or until the bottom of the bread is brown and has a good thump to it. The internal temperature should be at least 180 degrees F, and the thermometer should come out of the bread dry. Allow the bread to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing it up.

* I also didn't use eggs. I used a big spoonful of silken firm tofu for each egg whirled in my little blender cup with the other liquids.

Easy GF Tortillas

Homemade Tortillas

2 C flour (we used 1.5 gf blend, .5 cassava)

1 t salt

2 T shortening (we use palm)

3/4 C cold water

Mix shortening and flour until combined. Slowly add water until a dough ball forms with no loose flour. The dough should not be wet. Form into small round balls and place between two pieces of parchment on a tortilla press, or roll with the rolling pin until desired thickness. Remove the top parchment, and place the bottom parchment with the tortilla on it into your cast iron skillet on medium-low heat. Cook for about a minute or 2 and then flip and remove the parchment and proceed until all the dough is used.

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

Lazy Daisy Oatmeal Cake

2 C   boiling water

1 1/2 C  gf oats 

3/4 C      Butter or vegan substitute

1 1/2 C   granulated sugar

1 1/2 C   firmly-packed brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3  eggs (or vegan substitute)

2 1/4 C  gf flour blend

1 1/2 tsp soda

3/4 tsp    salt

1 tsp       cinnamon

1/2 tsp    nutmeg

Pour boiling water over oats, cover, let stand  20 minutes.  Beat butter until creamy, gradually add sugars, beat until fluffy.  Blend in vanilla and eggs, stir in oats, sift together flour, soda, salt, spices.  Add to creamed mixture, mix well.  Pour into greased and floured 9" x 12" pan.  Bake in preheated oven (350) 50 to 55  minutes.  Do not remove from pan.

Frosting

1/4 C  butter or margarine, melted

1/2 C  firmly-packed brown sugar

3 Tbsp half & half or milk

1/3 C chopped nutmeats

3/4 C coconut

Combine all ingredients and spread over cake.  Broil until bubbly.  Serve warm or cold.

Candida-Related Breast Pain is Not Just For Breastfeeding Moms

Mastalgia...a fancy word for one of a girl's worst enemies, breast pain.  Breast pain can have many causes and if you are personally experiencing it, you may wish to consult with a physician for help in finding the cause.  I did consult with a physician when I began having spasms and severe pain while nursing my 2nd child. His response: I've never heard of anything like this before. Considering he'd been an ob-gyn for decades at that point, I found it hard to believe, but thanked him and went home to figure something out for myself. 

At that time, it turned out to be candida, brought on by antibiotics given during the birth.  I came to discover that it was candida related all those years ago by doing a little test. I was concerned that the antibiotics I had been given had created an imbalance in my gut.  I was eating yogurt and taking probiotics, but I was given massive doses of antibiotics due to the fact that I was Group B Strep positive. Since candida was a concern, I researched natural remedies for candida overgrowth and found that cinnamon can be helpful.  When I would start having excruciating pain, I would take 2-3 capsules of powdered cinnamon and voila! The pain would go away.  

That was 18 years ago, and unfortunately, the pain didn't stop after I quit nursing 11 years ago. I have lived with fibrocystic breast disease for years. I have also struggled with systemic candida, and when having a flare, the pain in my left breast is debilitating. Oddly enough, I experience the pain most severely when I am exposed to chemical fragrances.  I have gone to a meeting where someone was wearing perfume, and ended up in bed for the rest of the day because the pain was so severe, I just couldn’t function.  

Unfortunately, there’s just not a lot of information out there about candida-related breast pain unrelated to breastfeeding.  In fact, I couldn’t find anything. All of the breastfeeding related information deals mostly with nipple thrush and fungal rashes on the breast.  In these cases, when doctors have no answers for you and can’t find any information yourself, you have to become your own personal science experiment.

At one point a couple years ago, it was so bad that my entire left arm ached, constantly. I decided to see if there was an oil for breast pain. I found a few things but nothing really seemed to cover all my issues, so I decided to do a little blending myself, and low and behold, it worked. I added Clary Sage, Frankincense, Myrrh, Vetiver, Copaiba and Peppermint essential oils to Jojoba Oil. I rubbed it on every evening after a shower and the pain would ease up or disappear all together. I had also started on a product called SF-722 by Thorne Research, for the yeast, so I thought maybe that was what decreased my pain. But while on the supplement, when I would experience pain, I would use my oil and it worked! 

Most likely, this is because all the oils, except Vetiver, are analgesic, or pain relievers, and every one of them are anti-inflammatory. Clary Sage  is used frequently to help balance female hormones, which can also contribute to breast pain. Vetiver is also anti-fungal, and since my breast pain is often candida related, I felt that would be a good addition. 

The pain does eventually go away, until the next flare.  Unfortunately, a change in the seasons, stress, and various other things can bring one on.  At least when it happens, I know I have a proven remedy to fall back on.

To find Lovely Lady Breast Health Essential Oil Blend, visit our Etsy Shop at www.lovelydarkwoods.etsy.com.

For more information on balancing your gut, check out The Body Ecology Diet.