#to things such as gluten dairy AND eggs so baking has been an experience trying to find substitutes

[planetsallalign]

Gluten free, and technically vegan Italian cookies. Are they as good as the real thing? No, but they are pretty damn good.

[fcukfodmap]

Day 25: Low-FODMAP Gluten-free Brownies

My younger kid has been kind of razzing me through this whole low-FODMAP diet about my becoming a vegan dessert Insta mom, who lies constantly about how amazing her kelp-based brownies are, or whatever. With my experience so far with low-FODMAP desserts, that is abso-tutely not happening. That said, these brownies are totally decent. They're not amazing, but I'm not expecting that.

I'm not even that big of a dessert person -- I've joked about having a cheese tooth, not a sweet tooth -- but there are certainly times when I want something sweet. From looking through the candy aisle at the corner store, it looks like the commercially made candies you can eat on a low-FODMAP diet are things like certain flavors of Mike & Ikes or gummi bears. Restrictions on lactose knock out most American made chocolate, and high fructose corn syrup knocks out the rest. Without further ado, to the recipe.

Low-FODMAP Gluten-free Brownies

1/3 c brown rice flour

2/3 unsweetened cocoa powder (either Dutch process or not, doesn't matter)

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 sticks lactose-free butter

1/2 c maple syrup

1 package dark chocolate chips, 1 c reserved

1 tbsp vanilla

3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour an 8x8 brownie pan

Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter, maple syrup, and 1 c of the chocolate chips, stirring constantly. Just get it to melty, then take it from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla, then the eggs one at a time. It'll end up with a pudding-like consistency.

Pour in the dry mixture and stir to combine. You can also mix in the rest of the package of chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 15.

The big thing with this recipe is vetting the chocolate chips you get: most chocolate chips you can find in the grocery store have too much milk in them to be low-FODMAP. I ended up ordering a three pack of Gefen Vegan Semi-Sweet Real Dark Chocolate Chips because they're dairy-free, which are 100% fine. If you can't find lactose-free butter (or that shit is too expensive) you could try either coconut oil or vegan butter (which is what I think they're calling margarine these days, lol).

These brownies weren't especially brownie-like. They just didn't have the fudginess of normal brownies, but they were still good and, more importantly, sated my need for some chocolate. I bet you could double the recipe, omit the chocolate chips mixed in at the end, and pour the batter into cake pans, and you could have slightly dense but serviceable cakes for a layered birthday cake. Idek what you would do for frosting, but that's a problem for another day.

Disclaimer: I am no dietician. I'm doing my best to minimize FODMAPs in my diet, but it's possible for me to be misinformed or mistaken about various ingredients.

[irinaartemis-blog]

The Ultimate Coffee Banana Bread Recipe

Level: Easy

Time: 75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes)

Life: 1 week (stored)

A modern twist on an all time baking favourite, our coffee and banana bread is a must try recipe for all avid home-bakers, snack lovers and coffee enthusiasts out there!

Banana bread is a classic bake that’s a great way to afford food waste and put those over-ripe bananas to good, or rather great use. Also it requires no additional wrapping/packaging and can be stored in a reusable tin. We are all about sustainability after all, and we are huge fans of being frugal and environmentally conscious! This coffee and banana bread can be eaten as a hearty breakfast, toasted with butter and fresh slices of banana, as a quick and yummy treat, or can even be served at a home-made afternoon tea

Using our Artemis Concentrate, for guaranteed quality and maximum taste, this beloved family recipe has been infused with a beautifully complimentary coffee flavour that is sure to go down well with friends, family and greedy coworkers. It’s an all-around crowd and palate pleaser.Even if you are not the biggest fan of coffee, this recipe is well-balanced in taste and texture, with the ideal combination of moist and fluffy. But, we are a coffee company after all, so we will try to enhance anything we can with coffee.

This delicious recipe also happens to be vegan friendly! Not only that but other ingredients can be easily swapped to make this suitable for those who need to avoid nuts, gluten and/pr oil, so fortunately nobody has to miss out!

Ingredients:

The mixture:

3 ripe Bananas (must be brown and spotted)

1 tsp Apple cider vinegar  

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda

1 and ½ tbsp Finely ground coffee

1 cup of Brown sugar

½ tsp of Sea salt

⅓  cup of Artemis coffee concentrate

½  cup of Milk of your choosing

(We used Soya. Water can be substituted for milk)

½  cup of melted Coconut oil

(Or alternatively Rapeseed oil for allergies/milder taste. You can also use any nut butter and Flax/Chia seed paste to for an oil free and healthier option)

1 cup Rolled oats

1 and ½ cups of All purpose flour

(Swap out plain flour for an alternative gluten-free flour if you are coeliac)

(see below to check out what alternative flours we suggest using for this bake and why).

(Optional)

1 tsp Vanilla extract (strongly recommended)

1  tsp maple syrup (or other liquidised sweetener of your choosing)

½ tsp of Cinnamon

(Recommended Toppings)

Almond flakes

1 Sliced banana

Prep time: 15 minutes (½ hour)

Cooking time: 60 minutes (1 hour)

Method:

Begin by preheating your oven to 180°C (use the fan setting is possible) and line an 8’’ loaf tin with non stick parchment/baking paper or grease thoroughly with dairy-free butter.

Slice up the bananas and add to a small bowl. Using a masher or fork, mash the bananas up into it forms a runny texture. (Try to remove as many lumps as you possibly can - adding the (optional) maple syrup to this will help). Then set aside.

Make sure all dry ingredients are sifted thoroughly before beginning this next step.

In another, larger bowl, add in your sifted, dry ingredients one at a time, beginning with the flour. Stir in each new ingredient into the mixture until they are fully combined. (for a smoother bread, you can lightly blend the oats in a food processor until they form a flour-like consistency. We didn’t do this however, as it gives the bread more spring to it).

Retrieve your small bowl with the banana mixture and add all the remaining, wet ingredients, combining thoroughly with a whisk. Whisk until you have reached an even, liquid consistency.

Slowly and carefully add this wet mixture to the dry mixture, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until all clumps have disappeared from the batter completely. The batter will be smooth, but thick. (Runny batter will result in the bread not rising properly or being to cake like)

Pour this batter into the lined or greased loaf tin, smoothing the top off with a spatula. You may add any additional toppings such as sliced banana and flaked almonds. Place them generously on the surface of the batter. Or keep it minimalistic and let the loaf speak for itself).

Place in the oven for around 60-70 minutes (timing will vary slightly with diffeent ovens). The bread will be golden brown and lovely deep cracks will have formed on top. To ensure it is cooked all the way through, pierce the loaf with a toothpick check to see if it comes out clean. If so, it’s ready!

Remove from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes in the tin. Then you may remove the bread from the tin using the sides of the parchment paper sticking out the sides to lift it upwards.  

Allow the bread to cool completely before slicing. Store in a container at room temperature for up to one week.

For more delicious recipes and mouth-watering pastry pics, follow our instagram and remember to keep checking our blog for more food and coffee themed posts! Why not check out our previous post on our top Indie Coffee Shops in Leeds, all of which serve delectable sweet and savoury treats that are sure to satisfy your cravings.

Additional Information:

Using Alternative flours:

Recommendations for Gluten-free flours: I recommend either using Coconut Flour,  or half Buckwheat flour and half Oat flour for Gluten-free banana bread baking.

Why these flours? Coconut flour is a very popular choice amongst bakers, especially for Banana Bread recipes. I’ve found a lot of recipes that favour this flour. The main reason I don't use it myself is that I cannot get it from the shop down the road. Lazy Baking at its finest. Alternatively, substitute All purpose flour for half Buckwheat flour and half Oat flour. Oat flour tends to make bakes extremely moist and I love that in a Banana Bread. I then recommend using half Buckwheat flour as this usually results in a dryer product, so I find that combining these two fibre-rich flours produces the perfect balance, also without creating an odd taste.

Assuring your flour is Gluten-free: As with many different ingredients, cross contamination is always a possibility, especially when using ingredients from popular/big brands. To ensure that the flour you are using is completely gluten-free and safe for those with Gluten allergies, the packaging will state a certification mark.

Choosing the right flour for you: At the end of the day, it is completely all about preference and accessibility. Different flours have different health benefits and baking properties. The bread’s texture and appearance will of course vary with each different flour, however this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, if you prefer a very moist banana bread, choose oat flour. Do you prefer it more dry and crumbly? Buckwheat flour will suit you. Sweet and flavourful? Coconut flour. Or do you want your banana bread to be more like, well bread, then Brown Rice flour is ideal. The important thing is to do some research, find out what is appealing and available to you, experiment and just have fun with it! For more advice and information visit: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gluten-free-flours#section7

Flax/Chia seed paste:

What is flax/chia seed paste?  This is a Hydrocolloid mixture created of either Ground Flax or Chia seeds mixed with water to form a gelatinous paste. This mixture is widely used as an egg replacement in many vegan/plant-based/egg-free recipes. Hydrocolloids usually work to either build structure, emulsify and soften mouthfeel; many things that eggs already do in traditional baking applications. For more information on using Flax/chia seed paste as an egg replacer visit:http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/egg-replacers/flax-seed-egg-replacer

How to make Flax/chia seed paste: The basic ratio is one tablespoon of Flax/Chia seeds and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Combine ground Flax or ground Chia seeds with the water to form a wet paste.  Stir and set aside for 5-10 minutes before using, this enables it to form a gel. Try to purchase whole flax/chia seeds and grind them yourself, as pre-ground seeds tend to lose a lot of moisture. You can grind them using a coffee or herb grinder.

Why is Flax/chia seed paste not in the original recipe? I have always used oil as a raising agent and egg replacement in baking since going Vegan and updating my family’s Banana Bread recipe. Using Bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder also gives the bakes that extra lift that egg would normally offer. I wanted this recipe to be as accessible as possible, from personal experience and discussing this with many other bakers and home-cooks, it was clear that flax/chia meal was not a kitchen cupboard essential for most people, unlike oil. I have tried this recipe with peanut butter and chia paste and it came out pretty much the same, except with a slightly nuttier taste. But for convenience reasons I prefer to use oil.

-Written by Sophie Gregan 

This article was originally posted on www.artemis.coffee/blog/  For more coffee- related content why not check out the link or visit our official Instagram page @artemisbrew

[dietsauthority]

25 Indulgent Dairy-Free Recipes You Need To Try

Whether you are just one of the approximated 30-50 million Americans that experiences lactose intolerance or you're attempting to prevent milk as a method to boost your overall health and wellness, the adhering to 25 indulgent dairy-free recipes will certainly make you eagerly anticipate meal time!

Why Would Someone Ditch Dairy?

Along with far better digestion wellness, dropping milk has been connected to a variety of health and wellness advantages, such as improved sinuses, clearer skin, and also enhanced energy levels. Some researches also reveal going dairy-free could strengthen your bones. I recognize that violates every little thing you probably discovered as a young kid since milk is referred to as a wonderful source of calcium. According to a 2014 study published in the British Medical Journal, scientists who complied with more than 100,000 people in Sweden over a duration of 20 to 30 years discovered milk drinkers really experienced extra total bone fractures and also hip cracks. This isn't the only research study to reach these findings.

What Is Dairy Exactly?

By interpretation, dairy products are foods and drinks that are made from the milk of mammals, such as cows and goats. Popular dairy items consist of milk, yogurt, cheese, as well as butter.

So what about eggs?

For some reason, individuals enjoy to glob eggs into the 'dairy' category. Eggs are not a dairy item and could most certainly be included in a dairy-free diet. That's terrific information given that eggs are a remarkable resource of healthy protein, healthy fats, and various other nutrients that benefit the body.

Recipes

Dairy-Free Breakfast Recipes

1) Healthy Yogurt and Granola Parfait - As I just mentioned, yogurt is normally a no-go when you're eating dairy-free. However, much like exactly how there are dairy-free milk alternatives, there are additionally dairy-free yogurt choices. A few of them consist of soy yogurt, almond yogurt, and also coconut yogurt. In this dish, the developer layers coconut yogurt in between fruit, hemp seeds, as well as chia seeds! It takes just minutes to toss together and is an easy grab-and-go breakfast.

2) Peanut Butter Banana Overnight Oats - Overnight oats are incredibly simple to prepare, you can consume them on the move, and also they're loaded with healthy components. To make your own, all you have to do is load a Mason container with oats, fluid, some add-ins, and garnishes. Pop it in the fridge overnight as well as the flavors will fuse together by the morning. No cooking required. This specific recipe is loaded with healthy protein and also fiber that will certainly assist maintain you really feeling full for longer. And also, making use of either almond or coconut milk maintains this recipe dairy-free approved!

3) Cinnamon Sugar Pumpkin Muffins - Are you someone who delights in baked goods for morning meal? If so, these cinnamon sugar pumpkin muffins are a must-try. They're bursting with flavor and also are extremely damp, many thanks to the coconut oil and pumpkin puree. If you're viewing your sugar consumption, you could constantly avoid the outer covering of cinnamon sugar!

4) Banana Muffins - These banana muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free, and also refined sugar-free. Bananas and coconut flour include the mass, chia seeds work as the binder, and numerous various other active ingredients (like honey, vanilla, and also cinnamon) develop a durable flavor.

5) Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free Banana Pancakes - No issue what age you are, pancakes are constantly an enjoyable breakfast food. Since they're normally full of gluten-laden flour, milk, and butter, it's rather fair to claim that pancakes can make your palate desire to do a little dance. However, the same can not be stated for your midsection. With a few straightforward component swaps, pancakes are in fact simple to healthify. Take this gluten-free as well as dairy-free dish. Utilizing bananas, oat flour, coconut oil, cinnamon, nutmeg, and also a couple of other components, a tiny stack of these pancakes is really a guilt-free breakfast!

6) 3-Ingredient No-Bake Cereal Bars - Are your mornings typically as well frantic to appreciate a sit-down breakfast with the family members? No concerns! Whip up a batch of these no-bake cereal bars on Sunday night so you have a nourishing on-the-go option during the job week. With simply three ingredients - a grain of your choice, peanut butter, and also a liquid sugar of your option - it does not obtain any simpler compared to this!

7) No-Bake Cranberry Coconut Energy Bites - Cranberries, walnuts, oats, coconut shreds, as well as flaxseed are all held together by almond butter and also pure maple syrup. Simply roll the ingredients into little spheres, pop them in the fridge to establish, and appreciate them on the move. Each bite offers a strike of healthy protein, vitamins, minerals, and also craveable flavor.

8) Instant Pot Coconut Yogurt - Yogurt is a terrific morning meal or snack choice given that it's packed with real-time societies, Also Known As probiotics, that benefit the gut. Did you recognize that researchers connect the gut to nearly every function in the human body?

9) Dairy-Free Frittata With Spinach and Tomatoes - Many times, frittatas are made with some dairy products to develop that light and also cosy structure. It's really not required. This dish uses eggs, coconut milk, peppers, spinach, tomatoes, and also some type of meat (if you comply with a vegan or vegan diet regimen then simply leave the meat out). Pop your mixture in the oven for a few mins and dig in.

10) Environment-friendly Vegan Healthy protein Healthy smoothie - Green smoothie mixes are loaded with nutrients that sustain general health. When you throw some plant-based healthy protein into the mix, also much better! This dish asks for a range of superfoods - spinach, chia seeds, hemp seeds, almond butter, and banana. And also, maintaining with the dairy-free motif, the maker used bitter almond milk instead than lactose-filled cow's milk. A few days add natural sweetness to the drink, but if you need more you could constantly press in a little bit of raw honey.

Dairy-Free Lunch/Dinner Recipes

11) Cauliflower Fettuccine 'Alfredo' - This super light vegan alfredo pasta sauce is made with cooked cauliflower, olive oil, and spices! A little dietary yeast gives it a nice cheesy flavor. It's a win on taste and also win on texture. If you do not desire to offer it over pasta, pour it over a bed of rice or use it as a veggie dip.

12) Dairy-Free Mac N Cheese - It is feasible to ditch dairy products and enjoy mac n cheese, you just need to obtain creative. The 'cheese' sauce in this dish freezes well so you can conveniently double the recipe and also place fifty percent in a freezer-safe container. Simply heat it up when you prepare to dig in again.

13) Vegan Grilled Cheese Sandwiches - Potatoes, carrots, onions, cashews, coconut milk, and also dietary yeast typically aren't normal 'grilled cheese' ingredients, yet the end result really tastes a great deal like your childhood years preferred grilled cheese sandwich.

14) Mushroom as well as Kale Pasta - Cashews are used as the base of a creamy sauce that will make you absolutely ignore celebrity in standard lasagna. With just 30 minutes to prep and also an additional HALF AN HOUR to cook, it's most definitely worth a try.

15) Avocado Quesadillas - Cheese quesadillas are fantastic. Pass on. But so are avocado quesadillas. Along with the remarkable preference, this Mexican-inspired meal is actually quite healthy and balanced. Avocados are filled with healthy and balanced fats and healthy proteins that nurture the body in more ways compared to one.

16) Dairy-Free Pesto - While pesto isn't really normally considered as a 'milk food,' lots of dishes do ask for parmesan cheese. While dairy products pesto is excellent, it actually doesn't require celebrity to please your palate. This dish celebrates simplicity with cilantro (you can likewise use basil), olive oil, garlic, want nuts, lemon juice, as well as a little salt and pepper. Once you work up a bowl of this delicious pesto, use it as a dip, spread, pasta sauce, or dressing.

Dairy-Free Dessert Recipes

17) Raw Chocolate Cake - Most of the times, abundant and also indulgent cakes include full-fat milk and also butter. Of program, I can not fail to remember the frosting, which typically has, even much more, milk or cream and also butter. But it doesn't need to be in this way, and this cake verifies it! One bite of this Raw Delicious chocolate Cake by the famous Jamie Oliver and also you could be misleaded right into thinking it's the actual deal. Sweetened with Medjool dates, honey, as well as raw cacao, it's extremely wonderful without using any refined sugar. For the frosting, coconut oil, agave, honey, and even more cacao are placed on display.

18) Delicious chocolate Peanut Butter Milkshake - Making a dairy-free milkshake is way less complicated compared to you might even recognize. All you need to do is exchange out the routine cow's milk for a nut milk. In this dish, the designer used almond milk, however you can use hazelnut milk, coconut milk, and even rice milk if you choose. Given that numerous refined chocolate items do contain dairy, this dish makes use of chocolate powder.

19) Healthier Dairy-Free Cheesecake - This dish is a lightened-up variation of standard cheesecake with a 3rd of the calories as well as sugar ... and no dairy. It combines dairy-free lotion cheese with coconut yogurt, vanilla remove, a sugar, lemon juice, as well as a little corn starch. You will certainly need to cook this set, but it's still very simple to whip up!

20) Vegan Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake - This recipe is excellent during Fall as well as the colder winter season months. Something about the combination of pumpkin as well as cinnamon simply makes this much healthier dairy-free cheesecake taste like comfort.

21) Yellow Cake Donuts - I'm not going to sugar layer this - there is a great deal of sugar in this dish. While donuts aren't something you'll want to consist of in your day-to-day diet regimen, they're definitely an enjoyable reward from time-to-time. If you're trying to find a dairy-free version of your favorite yellow cake donut after that this dish is perfect for you. Instead of milk, the dish requires unsweetened coconut milk, instead of butter, it includes healthy and balanced avocado oil.

22) 3-Ingredient Double Delicious chocolate Mousse - The structure of whipped coconut lotion is absolutely amazing. So it's not surprising that by adding a little powdered sugar as well as cocoa powder you would develop an outstanding dairy-free mousse.

23) 3-Ingredient Dairy Free Fudge - This is the ideal no-bake reward. Utilizing coconut milk, confectioner's sugar, as well as dairy-free chocolate chips, this treat will take you about 10 mins to make and it's sure to excite a crowd.

24) Edible Cookie Dough - Is it just me or is there something addictive concerning cookie dough? It's a lot more lip-smacking great compared to a baked cookie! The only problem is - given that many cookie recipes require eggs, the raw dough isn't all that safe to eat. Enter this edible cookie dough dish. Simply make sure to use dairy-free delicious chocolate to maintain this recipe entirely devoid of dairy.

25) No-Churn Dairy-Free Ice Lotion - I yell, you shout, all of us shout for dairy-free-ice-cream! A bowl of this smooth and also creamy treat is made from coconut milk, sugar, as well as simply a touch of powdered gelatin. A few doses as well as you could be fooled right into assuming it's the actual deal!

[elescritora]

Hello my dear! I’ve been thinking lately of trying to go vegan. I don’t know if I could hack it, I use dairy a lot and I weight train so I’m worried about protein. You have been infusing my dash with some serious vegan food porn so I thought I’d ask if you had any tips or advice?

Hello lovely, apologies for the delayed reply - babies and back to work now and all that. Also, I apparently have a lot to say...Going vegan! It's a big step. The way you approach it will depend on your reasons for making the change. For health? For animal rights reasons? For the environment? If you're suddenly ethically opposed to consuming animal products, you might decide to go cold turkey. If you’re worried about the environment, you might go slower, giving up the things that you feel are most detrimental first, and slowly reducing your consumption of the rest. If for health, you might take a similar slow approach, but choose different foods to reduce first.Below, TL;DR: go slow, you don’t have to do it all at once, every little bit is a step along the path. It might take several years or you might do it all at once.Personally, I first went *vegetarian* 14 years ago for all three reasons, but primarily animal rights and environmental sustainability. I never ate much meat or seafood anyhow, so giving that up cold turkey wasn’t a big step for me. I was at a place in my life when I had lots of time and energy to invest in trying heaps of new and exciting vego recipes, so being in that mindset of it being a new culinary adventure was a great way to approach it. I had a couple of friends go vego at the same time so we experimented together. Also I enjoy mock meats to add some variety to my diet, so that helped when I was learning how to cook new things and when eating out. Note there are some good mock meats and some bad ones! Australia has a reasonable sized Asian Buddhist population so it‘s not hard to find some really yummy ones, and these days the western types you find in the grocery store aren’t too bad either. I normally have a few things from each brand I like. We also have lots of Asian vego and Indian restaurants so I ate out a lot. Yum. The hardest thing when going vegetarian was giving up hidden animal products, like yoghurt with gelatine in it, or cheese with rennet. However, these days you can easily find cow's milk alternatives. It was a different scene 14 years ago, everything was hard to come by. Now it’s practically mainstream. Every restaurant you go to has vego options, every supermarket has a variety of different products (before it was like one type of tofu in a tetra pack on the shelf 😖).Over several years I slowly became convinced that eggs and dairy were not great either. I gave up eggs first; not so hard. I didn’t miss eating eggs, and it’s actually quite easy to substitute when baking. You can even make merengue (like for macarons or pavlova) - look up aquafaba! I researched honey and decided I was not ethically opposed to it as it's produced in Australia (that's another thing - do local research as animal production standards vary globally). So I still eat honey. Dairy was the last thing to go. I'd been reducing it very slowly as it took my body a while to adjust (if I drank a glass of milk I started out with 0.25 cup non-dairy milk and 0.75 cup cow's milk, and over months I changed the ratio til I was drinking totally plant-based milk). I finally read a sad story about a bobby calf and that pushed me to give up the last of it. That was 2009.Dairy was the hardest to give up by far. The cheese alternatives then were all soy-based and disgusting, so I went for about 5 or 6 years without eating anything cheese-like. Same with yoghurt and icecream, although I did eat sorbet. But then over the last few years there has been an explosion of coconut milk-based cheeses, yoghurts, and icecreams (cashew milk-based is good too, nice and creamy without a strong flavour). These are a huge improvement and I eat them quite a bit now. I would suggest trying these dairy alternatives as if they are entirely new foods, not replacements for old favourites. They might fill a gap in your diet where you used to eat dairy, but they won’t be exactly the same. The trick is appreciating them for themselves, not hoping they'll taste just like you're used to. They won’t be the same - but they will still be GOOD. Remember that while soy-based products provide protein, coconut-milk ones don't, but they do provide fat. You do need fat in your diet so this isn’t all bad!To my surprise, as a total choc-a-holic, I was sure chocolate was going to be the hardest to give up, but it was really easy! Lots of dark chocolate is vegan, there's hot chocolate, chocolate baked goods, chocolate coconut icecream, specially made vegan chocolates... I still eat chocolate everyday! 😂😘To allay your concerns about protein and weight training and all that - I've heard of plenty of successful athletes, bodybuilders, weightlifters etc who are vegan. I'm soooo not one of them! 😂 But a quick google of ‘vegan weight training' brings up lots of results. The old 'vegans don’t get enough protein' myth is well and truly busted. Aside from the traditional beans, lentils, nuts, and soy products (including milk, if you’re not into tofu or tempeh), there are things like quinoa and wheat gluten (which is used in a lot of mock meats - has a chewy texture). I’ve gone through pregnancy as a vegan, and had no issues with protein.So that's my long-winded reply about going vegan... hopefully you'll be able to glean something helpful from it! It's all stream of consciousness because the children are harassing me to play with them so I have no time to refine... 😳

[wavecollection]

Final Assignment Reflection

The story I wrote for my final assignment is entitled, “Trying all of Kinnikinnick’s Cakes, so you Don’t Have To.” Kinnikinnick is a Canadian allergy-friendly brand. Their products are lab tested to guarantee that they are free from gluten, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy. The brand has been producing these allergy-friendly products since 1991. They have adapted over the years, and now most of their products are free of the top 8 common allergens. My favourite thing about this brand is that they are always finding ways to improve their recipes. I have been eating Kinnikinnick products since as early as 2013, and I can confidently say that they have made significant improvements to almost all of their products that I’ve tried over the years. They make all different types of bread and baked goods such as muffins, cookies, and cakes of various flavours. Kinnikinnick makes my favourite chocolate cake mix. They have two other cake mixes that I’ve yet to try: Vanilla and Angel Food Cake. So, for my assignment, I decided to make each of them and rank them on a scale from one to ten.

The chocolate and vanilla mixes were straightforward and easy to make. They both required four eggs, oil, and water. Just as easy to make as a Betty Crocker mix. On the other hand, the angel food cake had a different and more expensive ingredient list; it called for twelve egg whites and pure vanilla extract. The instructions also state that it requires an electric mixer, which I do not own at my student house. So, I had to whip egg whites to a stiff peak by hand. After over twenty minutes of whisking and using a hand blender, I gave up once the egg whites reached a soft peak—one of my most frustrating baking experiences in a while, that’s for sure.

Over the years, I have made the chocolate cake mix for many people and have yet to be told that it tastes significantly different than a regular mix. Kinnikinnick relies on a high sugar content to match the flavour of a traditional cake. While making each of the mixes, I noticed that the sugar granules were very noticeable within the powder itself. It is important to keep in mind that although these mixes are gluten and dairy-free, they are not necessarily healthier than a regular cake mix. It is extremely common to add more sugar to alternatives in order to mask the difference in taste.

As for the research I conducted for this assignment, I took a less formal approach because it was based on my personal opinion. However, the years I have spent trying different recipes, products, and brands certainly count as research. There are so many gluten-free cake mixes on the market; however, oftentimes, they require the addition of dairy products. Kinnikinnick is one of my favourite brands to buy because its products are dairy-free instead of vegan, allowing for eggs. Most of the products I purchase and the bakeries I go to are vegan as there is more of a market for vegan products as opposed to dairy-free nowadays. However, I still eat eggs and find that they are essential in maintaining the overall structure of a cake. It is difficult enough having to use gluten-free flour. This is because gluten acts as a binding agent for the dough and holds it together. It also traps the gases released by yeast during fermentation, which prevents the bread from being too dense.

I am allergic to both gluten and dairy, but I only discovered these allergies in my pre-teen years. As a child, I was able to eat anything I wanted. I don’t necessarily remember what dairy products taste like anymore, but I generally remember what foods such as pizza taste like, and I miss them. I love watching videos and reading blog posts about food, and it’s really the only way I can experience some of the foods that I used to love. I was inspired to write my article based on this series on Youtube that I watch called “Julia tries everything”. It is posted on the company Delish’s youtube channel. Delish is an American media company with a focus on food. Their goal as a company is to make it easy for you to find the best of whatever you need. Julia goes to different restaurant chains in the series and tries all of the most popular dishes on the menu. The videos are usually around fifteen minutes. She typically tries multiple appetizers, entrees, desserts, and drinks. Rather than ranking each dish, Julia typically picks her favourite dish from each round, expressing which ones are worth trying. I like that she’s honest when she doesn’t like something, as I often assume these companies are sponsored by the restaurants they go to; good exposure for them after all.

Of the options we were given in formatting our articles, I chose the approach which asked for ten pictures and 500 words. While a video inspired me, I felt that my story would be better told in a blog post format. Because I was only making three different cakes, I felt that if I were to make a video, it would not compare to Julia tries everything. I didn’t think I would be able to record enough content as the focus was more on my opinions of the cakes instead of the baking process. If there were more cakes to try, I would have made my own “Emily tries everything” series.

My final article came one picture short as I followed a pattern of three photos per cake: one of the cake mix, one of the cake itself, and one of the frosting used to decorate the cake. The photos I took myself and the pictures of the cake mix boxes taken from Kinnikinnick’s website are more straightforward as there is not much to interpret from them. Thus, the main visual signifiers are the cakes, the frosting, and the cake mix. While there may not be a message to decipher from the images, they play an essential role in telling the story. The photos of each mix and icing show the exact products that I used in making the cake. This ensures that readers can easily re-create the final product. The photos of the cakes show the final product. I decorated each cake differently and used fruits and chocolate to enhance the flavours. For example, I garnished my chocolate cake with raspberries as the flavour complemented the icing well. The visual aspect can be just as crucial in enticing someone to read the article and try the cake. The words within the story provide a description of the baking process and the taste, and the images give a visual of everything described. Together, these two elements effectively told my story.

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

The Best Grain Free and Paleo Granolas on the Market

New blog post!

No matter how many homemade gluten free granola recipes I come up with, I love being able to reach into my pantry for some store bought granola when life gets busy. Since I'm one of the many people with celiac disease who can’t tolerate even gluten free oats, though, even many gluten free granolas are off limits for me. Grain free and paleo granola to the rescue! In particular, I'm rounding up five grain free and paleo granolas that I've discovered (and consistently devoured) in the four years since my celiac diagnosis. Included are paleo and vegan granola options, refined sugar free granola, chewy granola, crunchy granola and everything in between. The only things these granolas have in common? They’re all grain free (and gluten free, obviously)...and they’re all crazy delicious.

So whether you follow a paleo diet, have celiac disease and can’t eat oats or just love yummy food, keep reading to discover my top five favorite store-bought grain free granolas. 

1. Bee Free’s Warrior Mix

These paleo granolas aren’t ordered by any kind of ranking; however, I thought it’d be only fitting to mention the newest-granola-to-me first: Bee Free’s Warrior Mix. Made with ingredients like almonds, seeds and honey, all the Warrior Mix flavors are intended to be “clean fuel” that tastes like dessert. Bee Free was kind enough to send me a bag of every flavor, which range from Original to Apple Pie to Spicy Chocolate, in return for an honest review (<--- yay full disclosure, as usual!). Considering that I've been munching down on this gluten free granola every night for two weeks straight, I can attest that the Warrior Mix is addictively good!

If you like soft, clumpy granola with a little bit of crunch, Bee Free’s Warrior Mix is your snacking soul mate. I’ve been mainly digging into the Original flavor so far, and I love that it’s sweet without tasting sugary and mixes small and medium chunks of nuts and seeds for a variety of textures. The Warrior Mix is the perfect crumbly topping for yogurt or smoothies, but I’ve also been eating it straight out of the bag (often with banana and nut butter) for a quick snack. 

2. Grandy Oats’ Coconola

Craving a bowl of gluten free granola with an even bigger crunch factor than The Warrior Mix? Then get ready to drool over Grandy Oats’ paleo granola, Coconola, which replaces oats with crispy coconut flakes.  

Out of their three varieties (Original, Chocolate Chunk and Super Hemp Blend), the latter two are vegan as well as grain free. Coconola is sweeter than other varieties of paleo granola I’ve tried, but that’s more of an observation than a complaint. As I’ve shared in previous blog posts, Coconola is super crunchy, which makes it the optimal topping for kitchen experiments like superfood banana coins or yogurt bowls. As an added bonus, when you get to the bottom of the bag and have already devoured all the crunchy granola clumps, I swear that the crumbs taste like some magical combination of cinnamon sugar and sprinkles!

3. Whole Me

I have Instagram to thank for stumbling upon this third paleo granola brand, which just happens to be made in Minneapolis (very near where I’m living for grad school). Whole Me is packed with wholesome ingredients like fruit, coconut, nuts and seeds. Similar to The Warrior Mix, Whole Me has a softer texture and is made of whole foods like nuts, seeds, fruit and coconut. 

Whole Me's paleo granola is unique, however, in how compactly all the ingredients pressed together. As a result, Whole Me's gluten free granola actually consists of granola squares that almost look like paleo granola bars, except they crumble easily. My favorite flavor of theirs is definitely Cinnamon Banana Chip, though Lemon Berry Chia is a very close second.  

4. Julie's Real

This is another paleo granola I discovered through the magic of Instagram (follow me and watch my InstaStories for lots of behind-the-(blog)-scenes product finds and reviews). Since winning some mini packs of this gluten free granola from Julie’s Real a few weeks ago, this granola has become one of my favorite sweet snacks to take with me during busy days of class. 

I’ll say one thing straight up: compared to other clumpy and cluster-filled paleo granolas I’ve tried, Julie’s Real’s versions are looser and more like trail mix...but it’s dang delicious trail mix, if you want to call it that. So far, I’ve tried Cinnamon Vanilla Bean and Cacao Coconut. I love that, unlike with some chocolate treats, the cacao in the latter flavor isn’t overwhelming. If you’re an almond lover, you’ll also enjoy the big chunks of crunchy almonds littered throughout both varieties. 

5. Wild Way

The last paleo granola I’ve tried and loved is actually one that I discovered while visiting family in Texas a few years ago. Thanks to the gloriousness of Amazon, though, Wildway’s paleo granola is now available throughout the US (and I’ve also started seeing it popping up in non-Texas-located Whole Foods). 

Wildway’s paleo granola is different first of all because it’s a grain free, vegan and refined sugar free granola. I promise, though, that this granola tastes so good, you won’t even miss the sweetener. I also love Wildway because it’s the chewiest gluten free granola I’ve ever tasted, and those bites with nuggets of fruit, coconut and nuts are totally moan-worthy. Anyone who says you can’t have dessert - or a killer sweet snack - while also ditching grains and refined sugar obviously hasn’t tried Wildway’s paleo granola...and is definitely missing out. 

The Bottom Line

If I had to name one food I couldn’t live without, grain free and paleo granola would be high on the list. It can be crunchy or chewy (or something in between), made without dairy or eggs or even refined sugar...and (most importantly, of course!) it tastes delicious on just about everything. (And trust me - I've tried putting granola on a lot of things.) When you have the extra time and energy, baking up your own batch of homemade gluten free granola is definitely a worthy venture. But when you need a paleo snack or a delicious gluten free dessert ASAP, any of these grain free and paleo granolas would be a tasty choice. Just don't ask me which brand I consider my number one favorite...though I wouldn't mind taste-testing all of the above for the rest of my life to find out!

Like this post? Tweet me some love by clicking here: "Follow a #paleo diet, need to eat #glutenfree for #celiac or just love yummy food? Today, I'm sharing my top 5 #grainfree store-bought granolas. #Healthy and #allergyfriendly snacking has never been easier! http://bit.ly/2GCHhbi"

*This post is not sponsored, although I did receive Bee Free's The Warrior Mix for free in return for an honest review. However, I honestly adore and already do or would purchase all of these granolas regularly. All opinions and photographs are my own, and I hope this list helps others with celiac disease who can't eat oats or people who avoid grains learn of some new brands to consider trying!* Do you like your granola chewy or crunchy? Have you tried any of these brands before - or do you know of another grain free/paleo granola I need to add to my culinary bucketlist? Tell me in the comments!

via Blogger https://ift.tt/2pOC0Tj

[distinctlyteaincposts]

SPRING IS DETOX TIME

Sunny daffodils and robins everywhere, it is clear that spring is here! With the shedding of our winter coats, we feel a little lighter, and many of us start itching for a change. We clean our houses, try a new haircut, shop for a summer wardrobe (even if it is still too cold to wear our purchases!), and look for signs of love in the air. Springtime is a symbolic rebirth of many things, including our personal goals. Often people make a new commitment to their health in the spring as soon as they sense that bathing-suit season is approaching. New workouts, new diets, and the best of intentions. In this newsletter, we cover “detox”: what it means, why you may or may not need to do it and some strategies for doing it naturally. Happy spring! All About “Detox” In the last few years, there has been a lot of talk about “detoxing”— one only has to visit any health food store to hear about all of the “toxins” that we carry needs to be purged. Interesting, considering that our body is so miraculously suited to this very process. Our digestive tract, skin, and respiratory system all serve as absorptive surfaces to take in what we are exposed to in the environment. Not all of what we absorb is bad, but it is a representation of what is in the environment. The cleaning products we use, the cosmetics we apply, our medications, where we work and what we do while we’re there, and very importantly, the food we eat, all play a role. Once absorbed into the body, these substances are broken down by enzymes throughout the body. The liver is the primary organ of biotransformation where these same substances are broken down into metabolites that are then eliminated by the kidneys via urine, thus detoxifying the body. Many of these metabolites are inactivated by this process, while others become active (sometimes the case with medications) so that they can exert an effect on the body. This process consists of two phases: Phase 1 involves altering the chemical form of these substances in preparation for Phase 2 Phase 2 involves inactivating these substances and so that they can be eliminated from the body. Adverse drug reactions or interactions with other drugs and/or herbs often come as a result of the Cytochrome P450 groups of medications, which all get processed as a part of Phase 1. These include warfarin, many antidepressants, anesthetics, anti-inflammatories, hormones, oral contraceptives, statins, beta- blockers etc. When several of these things are present in the body, the enzymes that metabolize these sub- stances may get shut-off or turned on excessively so either a higher or a lower concentration of a drug is present which can increase the chance for adverse reactions. Hence many of the cautions with combining certain medications or herbs (and smoking, alcohol and grapefruit juice). The idea that the liver can get “over-burdened” with “toxins” may be a result of metabolism by-products accumulating and acting on the body in an unhealthy way, as well the direct effects on the body from our environmental exposures. Thus many “detox” strategies involve supporting the liver so that it can get rid of these toxins. The kidneys work to eliminate these metabolites by filtering them into the urine, so many “detox” products also act as diuretics to increase the amount of urine produced. “Detox” diets are often centered around a basic whole-food diet and may also involve the elimination of alcohol, caffeine, sugars, gluten, dairy, eggs, red meats, and certain other foods from the diet. The idea is to give the body a break from our regular diets, or “get back on track” with healthy foods. The result is often more energy, better digestion, improved mood, or amelioration of symptoms, provided that one is eating enough and getting adequate sleep. More extreme versions of “detox-ing” and “cleanse” exist, and some of these strategies may be helpful in some cases, although there is definitely a potential to cause harm if, for example, there is an underlying medical condition.

Some Natural Detox Strategies:

Start the day by drinking a glass of warm water with the juice of half a lemon Drink lots of water throughout the day Eliminate sugars (including artificial sweeteners, honey, syrup, molasses, etc), all alcohol and caffeine Cut down on red meat, but be sure to consume enough protein (chicken and fish are great options) Poach, bake, boil or eat your foods raw rather than frying
Moderate physical activity encourages sweating, which is an alternate route for eliminating “toxins” Practice some form of deep breathing, meditation, prayer, or mindfulness. Simply being aware of and taking stock of one’s life can have profound effects on health.

Herbs to support Detox (All available at Distinctly Tea):

Dandelion Root: as a diuretic and liver-nourishing herb, dandelion root has long been used in treating liver conditions. It stimulates digestion, urine production, and supports the liver. https://distinctlytea.com/collections/tea/products/dandelion-root-organic  

Milk Thistle: considered a hepato-protective herb, milk thistle has traditionally been used in the treatment of liver diseases, including jaundice and cirrhosis. https://distinctlytea.com/collections/herbs/products/milk-thistle-seed-organic  

Green Tea and Matcha: although these do contain caffeine, there is a lot of good evidence to support the use of green tea and matcha in cancer cases, for mild weight loss, and promoting good health. https://distinctlytea.com/collections/green-tea  

Rooibos: a very nourishing, tasty and caffeine-free alternative to other sugary drinks, rooibos has immune boosting properties aids insomnia and can help to improve allergies. https://distinctlytea.com/collections/rooibos  

Herbal Teas: peppermint, chamomile, lavender, rose....these are all caffeine-free and are a very relaxing way to unwind at the end of a long day. Different blends each have their own medicinal properties and tastes...experiment to find one that you like! https://distinctlytea.com/collections/herbal-teas The bottom line when considering a “detox” is to remember that the body is specifically designed to do this on its own. A healthy diet and regular exercise should be a part of your lifestyle as these are the most important factors in maintaining health, regardless of whether you are “detoxing” or not. Some products, including herbs, can be helpful in supporting this process but it is very difficult to undo years of damage in a matter of a few weeks. That being said, the need to “detox” very much depends on your lifestyle: the healthier you are, the better your body is equipped to eliminate what you take in. However, if there is a history of regular exposure to cigarette smoke, chemicals, alcohol, or medications, etc. it may be possible that the body is less able to process everything adequately. Remember to consult your doctor, naturopathic doctor, herbalist, or midwife if you are pregnant, before undertaking any new health protocol if you suffer from any chronic illness, have severe allergies, or on any medication. Keila Roesner BHSc, ND (Candidate) Read the full article

[yewavenue3-blog]

5 Recipes with Shelf Stable Almond Milk – A Must Have Pantry Staple

5 Recipes with Shelf Stable Almond Milk – A Must Have Pantry Staple!

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Blue Diamond Almond Milk.  Thank you for letting me share my experience and recipes with their Shelf Stable almondmilk! And as always, thanks for supporting the businesses that support Cotter Crunch!

I’m going to let you in on a little story and “ah ha” moment for me. Yes, a story involving my first experience with shelf stable milk (which now has turned into my love and adoration for shelf stable Almond Breeze!). Can you even handle that excitement? Oh but trust me, you will after I finish this post. Mmm k?

You see, once upon a time I was an exchange student. In fact, I traveled from age 12-16! One of the families I stayed with was in Berlin, Germany. Gosh, I can remember it like it was yesterday. The pumpernickel bread, Nutella slathered on all the things, bowls of homemade muesli, and the best butter I’ve ever had. Haha! Food related, yes! But also, I remember the PANTRY ALWAYS FULL of shelf stable milk, which this little American girl was so amused by. How can milk be shelf stable? Being the curious age I was, I asked… A LOT OF QUESTIONS about how it was shelf stable and why she (the mom) always had so many boxes.

The answer? Simple. It was UHT milk , aka “ultra-high temperature.” Milk heated to 275 degrees Fahrenheit and packed into sterile containers in which it can stay fresh, without refrigeration, for as long as six months. Europeans, you probably remember this milk or still have it. It rhymes with “Carmalat”. Haha

Anyways, back to my point here: milk has become a pantry staple for me, just as much as sugar, flour, spices, etc. Handy dandy indeed! But times have officially changed, along with our food allergy sensitivities, and now we can have shelf stable ALMOND BREEZE ready to save the day.

You know, for those important moments when you run out of refrigerated almond milk and are DYING to make a smoothie or bake something that’s vegan, dairy free, plant based, etc. YEA!

How do you benefit from this? Well, I’m letting you in on my tricks and healthy recipe tips for when I’m in that moment…

Drama series meets Food Network, let’s do this! No driving to the store necessary.

Our favorite homemade creamy vegan salad dressing. You know, the one to put ON EVERYTHING! Yes, this green goddess vegan dressing is one we make again and again.

Proof: Green Goddess nourishing salad bowls and green goddess potato salad (spiralized). Plus, confession, I often just use this dressing as a dip with nut crackers. Gah, so good!

All you need is a little almond milk to make this salad dressing extra creamy and vegan-friendly. A little goes a long way, so thank GOODNESS for shelf stable Almond Breeze almond milk to “blend” the day. See what I did there? #cornycotter

Breakfast meal prep: Chia Matcha Overnight Breakfast Smoothie! Just blend it up the night before and enjoy it the next morning. Yes, it’s truly the perfect green smoothie breakfast on the go, or anytime!. BUT… I think we’ve all been there. You get on the meal prepping bandwagon, you schedule your Sunday night to PREP all the things, only to realize you don’t have milk (almondmilk) to finish your breakfast prep. Gah, the horror! Well, I learned this lesson the hard way. And let me tell you, going to the store at 10 pm in my slippers, just to get one KEY ingredient, is not my ideal Sunday night plans.

Also, trying to replace the almondmilk with water does not make for happy taste buds. Been there, done that. Shelf stable Almond Breeze, I LOVE THEE! My unsung hero for meal prep plans! Just sayin..

Speaking of Breakfast. Let’s talk dairy-free deliciousness: BOSTON CREAM PIE OATMEAL. Aka our post workout recovery oatmeal! The kind of oatmeal that fills you up and satisfies all your hanger cravings. Dairy-free, gluten-free, protein packed!

It’s also my.. “oh but I want to sit here a little longer and savor my breakfast” kind of breakfast oatmeal. Friends who have dealt with the post workout hanger, you know the importance of keeping all necessary ingredients/refuel in the kitchen. Shelf Stable Almond Breeze being yet another KEY ingredient and recipe saver.

Now, I definitely understand that shelf stable almondmilk comes in handy for breakfast meal prep but it’s also become quite handy dandy for last minute “throw together” meals. The ones where you utilize every leftover ingredient in your fridge and somehow it turns out AMAZING! It’s a sign that your resourcefulness pays off. I give you… ITALIAN EGG BAKE! Brunch, Brinner, Dinner, a true WINNER!

BAM! Dinner in under 25 minutes all because of the fridge and pantry staples. Can I get a high five for being somewhat resourceful and prepared now? Mmm k thanks!

And last but not least, shelf stable almond milk has come to my recipe rescue when I’m in the middle of baking. Specifically gluten free and DAIRY FREE baking. Have you been there? That moment ….the oven is preheated, eggs are at room temp, gluten free flour sifted, only to realize you don’t have MILK to finish mixing the muffin batter! Oh the horror! Haha, well that’s an easy fix these days. PHEW!

Get your pantry stocked. DO IT! Not only will Shelf Stable Almond Breeze come to your baking rescue…

But it’s also good to have extra for when you just need a glass of milk to go with your muffins. You know what I’m sayin? BLISS!

Alright, tell me friends… when was the last time you were in need of a recipe ingredient rescue? Well, if you’re looking for almond milk, just come to my house. I am now stocked, pantry stocked!

5 Pantry Staple Recipes with Almond Milk! Click To Tweet

Keep up with the fun loving Almond Breeze on social media. They are full of gluten free inspiration! Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest

Cheers,

Lindsay

Source: https://www.cottercrunch.com/5-recipes-with-shelf-stable-almond-milk/

[quiltdeer52-blog]

Cranberry Bliss Bars

Tis’ the season for Cranberry Bliss Bars! So first of all let me preface this blog post by mentioning that I could house an entire box of Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars to myself. In one sitting. They are one of my all-time favorites. So I decided to make a gluten-free, grain-free, copycat version because why the hell not?! It’s Christmas!

Okay so another thing I should maybe mention is that I’m obsessed with Christmas. Like OBSESSED obsessed. I put my tree up the day after Thanksgiving and I’ve had eggnog in my fridge since late September. What?! I can’t help it. Christmas is the best. Mainly because everything is covered in lights, Uggs are acceptable footwear, scarves are the best accessory, and the baking is on point. Oh man is the baking on point. Not only is baking so fun and delicious, but then you can also use the heat from the oven to heat your house, so it’s kind of like you’re saving money. Is it? No, it’s not, but just go with it.

So I also have been meaning to write a follow up to my July blog post about how I quit drinking for 8 months. Oh, you haven’t read that post yet? Well let’s go ahead and pause here so you can get caught up. It’s fine, I’ll wait…

And we’re back. So lots of you wonderful blog readers have reached out wondering, “What the heck Vanessa, are you a full-blown alcoholic again after your Honeymoon, or what? The people are dying to know.” So let’s go ahead and get right on into it, here’s my recap: I drank on our Honeymoon, I had champagne, piña coladas, dirty martinis, the works. I really enjoyed myself and I was surprisingly not hungover at all. I think the most drinks I had in one day would be about 4 though, so it’s not like I was a college girl after finals or anything.

I definitely felt and still feel myself sliding back in though. As I type this it’s only be 6 days since I’ve had a drink. After vacation ended I stayed sober until I visited a friend in San Francisco for my birthday (about a month total) and then I didn’t drink at all the month of October, I did a “Sober October” to try and get my sh!t together. Then November came in hot! I’ve basically drank every weekend in November, usually 3-4 drinks, sometimes in one day, sometimes over the whole weekend. We visited family in Tucson earlier in the month, then I had a friend in town, and then it was Thanksgiving…blah blah blah excuses, excuses. So I basically feel like someone who is walking up a steep hill and then every few feet or so, I slide back down part of the way. I believe “a slippery slope” is the easier and technical way to say that right? Ugh. See. Alcohol makes you dumb. Even after 6 days without it.

The original plan was to only drink on Holidays, special occasions, or when it’s really worth it. That plan has proven much harder to stick to than I originally thought it would. I think I just want to be one of those “in moderation” people so bad that I’m like, “Oh yeah, totally, I can make that work.” I’m still going to earnestly give that route a try because it makes the most sense to me. So the goal now is to make it until Christmas Eve without a drink and then start fresh in the New Year and go as long as I can again.

Each time I drink now I make a conscious effort to really ask myself, “What is it about this that I think I like so much?” because to be completely honest, the last few times I’ve gotten buzzed, it’s given me a sort of nervous paranoid anxiety that made me feel like, “I don’t like this, I feel uncomfortably fuzzy, I can’t articulate what I’m trying to say to this person, and I feel like everyone knows I’m drunk.” but then I still continue to do it anyway.  Why? Is it to just check out of reality for a second? Or make things more challenging just for the fun of it? What is it? I’m still trying to figure this out.

On our 6 hour road trip to Tucson, Brad and I played the New York Times 36 Questions to Love which you are actually supposed to play with someone you’ve never met, but I thought it would be a good way to kill time. We’re married, so obviously we already knew a lot of the answers to the questions about each other, but it was still fun and there were actually quite a few that we didn’t know about each other. Like Question 1. Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? He said me! Isn’t he the best?! That’s why I married him, but then I made him pick someone else besides me and he said Jesus. Which I thought was strange since he doesn’t believe in God, but anyway that’s another blog post for another time.

Fast forward to Question 12. If you could wake up tomorrow having gained any one quality or ability, what would it be? His answer was amazing, he said, “I’d wake up without any vices.” Well, wow, that got me thinking (mainly because my answer was something dumb like be invisible or be able to sing) what causes us to have vices or need vices? Is that why I think I’m entitled to a drink whenever I want one? Is it because we live in a world where we feel entitled to our vices? Like we’ve earned them?

So I guess the Cliff’s Notes version of this blog post is I’ve realized I don’t particularly enjoy drinking that much anymore, but I’m still doing it anyway, and I have no idea why. Maybe I need therapy?! Or maybe I just need to read This Naked Mind again. Then the other part of me is like, who cares, YOLO, just drink and be merry. It’s the quintessential angel and devil on each shoulder.

So knowing what I know now, would I have still chosen to drink on my honeymoon or would I have continued my non-drinking stretch? The answer is yes, I would have still drank regardless. I enjoyed having piña coladas in St. Barth’s and having expensive champagne on my wedding night in St. Maarten, and drinking a cocktail as I watched the sun set over Anguilla. Yes. I’d do it again and again. It was part of the experience for me, and while it’s true that I know I would have had just as much fun without it, I still liked the feeling of just letting my hair down and completely indulging with no guilt. Just like you’re supposed to do on vacation.

As someone who rarely lets their hair down, meaning that figuratively rather than literally, because I’ve actually been wearing my hair down a lot lately, as I feel a workout bun is just not an appropriate way to present myself to society, no matter how convenient it may be and I spend way too much money cutting and coloring my hair to just throw it up so no one can see. I’m rambling aren’t I, where were we again? 

Ah! Letting my figurative hair down felt really nice and carefree. And since I’m an abstainer, it’s hard for me to get out of the drinking cycle, if I’m still drinking on weekends. Are you as confused as I am? It’s hard getting all of your random thoughts and feelings into one concise point or blog post, so forgive me if this post seems scattered. I blame the alcohol obviously. 😉

I’m excited to see what 2018 has in store! I’m excited to get off the drink again and get back to that place where I was living my best life and things weren’t so foggy. As much as our society worships alcohol, I think there is really something to be said about living an alcohol-free life. It’s charming almost, simple and charismatic.

So anywho! That’s that. The married life rules too in case you were wondering. I love it! Everyone I tell that to says, “Oh well enjoy it while you can, that will change real soon!” Um, excuse me, that’s not nice. Be nice. Speaking of being nice, you absolutely have to make these copycat Cranberry Bliss Bars because they are just too delicious not to, they are very nice. So nice in fact that I think Santa took them off the ‘Naughty’ list just for you.

12 tablespoons (170 g) salted butter, browned

2 cups (184 g) sifted fine grain blanched almond flour

1/4 cup (40 g) coconut flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

¼ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

1 cup (135 g) sifted maple sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (6 oz./180 g) white chocolate, chips or chopped

½ cup (70g) dried cranberries

16 ounces (452g) cream cheese, softened (see Notes for dairy-free option)

8 tablespoons (112g) unsalted butter, softened

1 cup (115g) (70g) powdered sugar, or sifted maple sugar

¼ cup (60ml) light-colored raw honey

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup (50g) finely chopped dried cranberries, for garnish

½ cup (90g) white chocolate, chips or chopped, for garnish

Brown the butter by placing it in a medium-sized heavy-bottomed saucepan (2.5qt./2.3L) and cook over medium-low heat. Stir intermittently using a rubber spatula. As the butter melts it will start to bubble and foam. As the butter continues to brown, the color will turn from lemon yellow to amber and go from a loud bubble to quiet simmer. When the butter is ready, brown specks will have formed at the bottom of the pan and some will start rise in the foam. The butter will also have a very pleasant nutty aroma. Remove from the heat and let cool for about 15 minutes. While butter is cooling prepare other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl combine the almond flour, coconut flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, ground ginger, and salt. Stir together using a fork until well combined; set aside. In a separate medium mixing bowl add the maple sugar.

Once the butter has cooled, use a rubber spatula to transfer it into the maple sugar bowl, use the spatula to scrape in the browned bits as well. Beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Once the butter and sugar are mixed together, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each, and then add the vanilla. Increase mixer speed to high and continue to beat until smooth bubbles appear on the surface, about 1 minute.

Transfer the wet egg mixture to the dry mixture. Use the spatula to scrape out any remaining liquid in the bowl. Beat on low until thoroughly combined. Then mix in the white chocolate and cranberries by hand. Scrape the dough down into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing directly on the surface. Place in the freezer to chill for one hour.

About 15 minutes before the hour is up, adjust oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Line a 9x13 quarter sheet pan with parchment paper; set aside.

Once the dough is chilled, use fingertips to grab some dough and spread the dough evenly across the pan. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dough and roll out until the dough reaches the edges of the pan. It will rise during baking. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until browned on the top and edges and a toothpick comes out clean. Make sure the middle is cooked through completely. Cool completely before frosting.

Add the cream cheese and butter to a large mixing bowl or to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat together using a hand mixer or stand mixer set on medium speed until fluffy and combined. Gradually add the sugar, beating well after each addition. Then add the honey, vanilla, and orange extract and continue to mix until smooth and creamy.

Use an angled frosting spatula to spread the frosting across the cookie layer. To garnish, sprinkle the dried cranberries across the frosting.

Melt the white chocolate in the top pan of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir until smooth. Another method is to place the white chocolate in a large glass or metal mixing bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir intermittently, using a rubber spatula, until the white chocolate is completely melted. Once melted, let slightly cool, then transfer to a piping bag or re-sealable plastic bag with the corner cut off. Drizzle across the top of the frosting.

Use a sharp large chef’s knife to cut into 12 squares, wiping the blade after each cut. Then cut each square in half diagonally. Serve immediately. Store any leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

To make these dairy-free, sub ghee for the butter (I recommend Tin Star Browned Butter Ghee or 4th Heart Ghee) and sub dairy-free cream cheese for the cream cheese in the frosting. Kite Hill makes a great dairy-free cream cheese and you can find their products in health food stores across the country. Omit white chocolate chips or use a dairy-free version.

Clean Eating with a Dirty Mind http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/

December 1, 2017 | 17 Comments

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Tags: Bars, Cookies, Eggnog, Holidays, Paleo Desserts

Source: http://cleaneatingwithadirtymind.com/2017/12/01/cranberry-bliss-bars/

[wholerestart-blog]

Cashew Butter Cookies

New Post has been published on https://wholerestart.com/cashew-butter-cookies/

Cashew Butter Cookies

Cookies that actually taste like cookies!

Who’s sick of mushy, strangely textured Paleo cookies? You too!? Let’s be real, most of the recipes out there end in overly soft or overly crumbly treats that are just not satisfying in that need a dessert once-in-awhile way.

I love to cook and bake because I enjoy good food. However, ever since I went Paleo the one and only thing I really miss from time-to-time is baked goods.

Since we are on the track of confessions, I also admit that before Paleo I really loved peanut butter. Then I found out about alpha toxins and why you shouldn’t eat peanuts, you can see my post here for more info.

So yesterday I launched into an experiment to make something that tasted similar to a peanut butter cookie, with the right texture, a bit of firmness, and a bit of crispness in all of the right places. You know, like an actual cookie.

My ten year old came into the kitchen and asked: “Whatcha doing Mom?”. I told him I was doing a cookie experiment at which point he immediately pulled up a stool and asked if he could help by being the taste tester. HA! Gotta love his generous spirit.

So while he watched Youtuber’s play video games (still don’t get that fascination) I made a Paleo cookie that tasted like you would expect a cookie to taste. Cashew Butter Cookies that are completely Paleo AND actually taste amazing.

Print Recipe .wprm-recipe-rating .wprm-rating-star.wprm-rating-star-full svg * fill: #343434;

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Cashew Butter Cookies

Paleo/Gluten Free/Dairy Free

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Course: Dessert

Keyword: breakfast paleo, cashew, cookie, dairy free, gluten free, paleo dessert, paleo life

Author: Elizabeth Robin

Equipment

Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer

Ingredients

1/2 cup Ghee (Himalayan Pink Sea Salt) See recipe notes below!

1/2 cup Coconut Sugar

1/2 cup Maple Sugar

1/2 cup Cashew Butter I love Trader Joe's

1 egg

1/2 cup Casava Flour

3/4 cup Almond Flour

1 tbsp Xantham Gum

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Baking Powder Paleo approved (no cornstarch or wheat)

1/4 tsp Salt (if it is not in your Ghee)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°

Add ghee and sugar's to a mixing bowl and beat with a hand mixer or stand mixer for at least 1 minute.

Add cashew butter and egg and beat until incorporated

In a separate bowl combine dry ingredients and wisk together to mix

Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and carefully use your mixer to incorporate. Your dough should look like typical cookie dough. It's not sticky.

Put your dough into the refrigerator for 15 minutes to chill.

While your dough is chilling line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and clean up your kitchen 🙂

Remove cookie dough from refrigerator and scoop into balls with a scooper or spoon.

Use a fork to press a pattern into cookies

If desired, sprinkle tops lightly with coconut sugar.

Bake for 9-10 minutes or until the edges are starting to brown

Remove cookies from oven and allow to cool undisturbed on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before devouring.

Notes

I used this baking powder that is paleo approved.  You can also make it yourself with this recipe.  Baking powder can be tricky because it often contains cornstarch or wheat.

I used this Cassava Flour.  This Almond Flour,  This Maple Sugar.

I use Ghee that has Himalayan pink sea salt in it.  I like the way it tastes better.  Try this Ghee.

Could you use different sugars, flours, ratios…sure you are always free to do your own cookie experiment!  Try it out.

Do not be tempted to move your cookies before they have cooled for at least ten minutes.  They will fall apart.

They save well in a Ziploc bag on the counter.  They also freeze well.

[honeypotpreschool-blog]

Hiii. I just saw that someone was talking about the possibility of having an ED. I have had anorexia for almost 8 years, and I'm currently trying my hardest to recover. But I find it very difficult to do so when I love being a small little girl :( It's also very hard for me to regress when I am so caught up with counting calories. I don't know what to do. I want to give up on recovery, but I know I can't :( Do you have any advice?

hi there angel ~ this is mod euphie!

so… i’m going to answer this the best i can with the most knowledge i’ve gathered throughout my own anorexia nervosa experience. i don’t usually trust myself to give food advice because my idea of “healthy” has been very, very distorted in the past and still kind of is. but, i’ll try my very best! 💕

please read under the cut! warning, it’s super duper long~ but i wanted to be as helpful as possible! 

so… i’m not sure if you know this already, so i’m just going to say it: recovery is not getting rid of your eating disorder. it’s learning to combat it and live a healthy, fulfilled life in spite of it. you will never not have “anorexic thoughts” (i hate that word but it’s what my doctors have always used ;~;), recovery is just learning to fight them off and not listen to them. for me, there are many times where eating breaks me down to tears, and i always have to remind myself of this… “i hate eating, but eating brings things that i love. i have to eat if i want to have energy, if i want to dance, if i want to travel, if i want to have good relationships, if i want to have a life in my control, if i want to stay out of the hospital, and if i want to get away from this mental torture.” i’m sure there are things like this for you, too… when fighting off anorexia nervosa, you have to think about those ♡

this problem, unfortunately, can only truly be resolved outside of regression :(

first, you have to break your habits. you can’t look at calories and jot them down. you can’t cut up food into tiny pieces. you can’t hide food during public meals. every time you want to, you have to fight it, now matter how much anxiety it brings. i felt like a criminal every time i ate something without it being planned the day before or written down in my notebook, but… i have to do it. i have to get better, or i will die. that’s just the truth. 

this is easier said than done. it will be very difficult and you need to be so brave. honestly, sometimes… just tell anorexia to shove off, out loud. it kind of helps when you separate yourself from it and think of it as a bully instead of as part of you! 

despite popular belief in ED clinics, eating carb-heavy meals all day every day and snacking constantly is not the only or even the best way to recover from anorexia in the long term! 

once you are at a less dangerous weight, you can choose to eat healthier, leaner foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, eggs, lean meats, and only small portions of carbs and still have a very good diet! many anorexics choose to go vegan, vegetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, organic, etc. during their recovery and even continue after their recovery! as long as you aren’t eliminating things like carbohydrates, fats, sugars, etc. then any other choice you make will be just fine~ choosing to follow an alternative diet may give you the same feeling of control, while still eating normally and maintaining a healthy weight. this can help reduce the anxiety you have towards eating, because there won’t be as many “scary foods” involved. 

some of my favorite things to eat when i’m regressing is fruits cut into flower, star, and heart shapes (strawberries, nectarines, and watermelon!), baked plain sweet potato, apple slices with (or without) vanilla almond butter, broccoli with parmesan cheese on top, and on really good days i like bento boxes (usually white rice in hello kitty shapes, lean meat, veggies) and gluten-free toast with vanilla almond butter, sliced bananas, and gluten-free granola on top! 

i really don’t eat mac and cheese, chicken nuggets, cookies, pudding, ice cream, or any of the “usual lil foods.” i’m not far enough into my recovery to feel confident eating heavy foods and tons of carbs and high fat contents, so i… don’t! 

you will have days that are better than others where food comes more easily and you see clearer past the disorder. there will be times when it’s really, really painful and you’re not going to be that happy, but i encourage to fight through it. resist your habits. keep eating healthy. recovery is worth it and you deserve it, honey bear! 

good luck! keep fighting, and remember i’m here for you (even if that doesn’t mean much) ~ ♡

[travelonlinetips-blog]

New Post has been published on https://travelonlinetips.com/a-locals-guide-to-ipswichs-burgeoning-foodie-scene-3/

A local’s guide to Ipswich's burgeoning foodie scene

Foodies, welcome to the undiscovered next-big-thing: Ipswich.

The last few years has seen an explosion of palatable delights from boutique coffee haunts and late-night dessert bars to multicultural fare and microbreweries. But it’s not just the food that’s worth the (not even) one-hour journey from Brisbane. Ipswich has been seriously underestimated when it comes to mini-break appeal, and we’re not the only ones who’ve caught on.

Since settling into the slower pace and charm of this heritage city, Jolie Packett and husband Pete Tate from Ellen and Rod cafe have been impressed by the growing street cred and share what this not-so-sleepy city has to offer below.

From award-winning art galleries and museums to organic markets and some serious architectural porn, you’ll be adding Ipswich to your travel-to radar after this local low-down.

Eat

When Jolie and Pete aren’t behind the counter at Ellen and Rod, they enjoy nothing more than turning the tables and having someone else cook for them, and rightly so.

Top of Town is where most of the culinary magic happens. For morning delights and lazy lunches, try laneway cafe Rafter and Rose or Cactus Espresso Bar (which resides in the old Adam’s Cake Shop from the early 1900s).

“Both provide really fresh options, made on the premises, with a good range of options,” says Jolie. Think gluten-free baked cheesecakes and brownies for those with a sweet tooth, to the heartier eggs benny and big breakfast stacks.

Further afield, Market Organics in North Ipswich has set itself as the holy grail of healthy eating, home to an organic grocery store (with fresh and seasonal produce sourced from Aussie farmers) and in-house cafe, MO Wholefood.

Drink

The duo pride themselves on delivering the best brew in town with their own trademark coffee grinds, True Grit, roasted by Jolie herself. (Goes down a treat with their Nutella and banana bread, just FYI.)

“I am my own harshest critic, and we are constantly checking what we are producing to make sure it is the best it can be,” she says. “Part of that includes using the amazing milk from the local dairy, Scenic Rim 4Real Milk.”

When the sun goes down and the clock strikes beer o’clock, mosy on over to Pumpyard Bar and Brewery as much for the locally brewed beers as the great atmosphere.

Set in the historic former Technical College which opened in 1901, the chic industrial interior and red brick facade is topped off by a shaded garden perfect for chilled-out live acoustic tunes on Sundays.

Take a leaf from Pete and order the Ipswich Challenger, a light ale that is easy on the booze content but full of flavour with hints of mandarin, green tea and spice. And don’t forget a side of munchies. “We both like the frickles, which are fried pickles.”

Stay

When it comes to accommodation, Jolie recommends sticking close to the CBD to make the most of all the eating action.

Metro Hotel Ipswich International is about as central as you can get, located just a 10-minute stroll from the bustle of Top of Town, with the Ipswich Civic Centre and Market Square Park your neighbours on either side.

If a BnB is more your style, try the cosy Parkview Colonials Bed and Breakfast on Limestone Hill opposite Queen’s Park. True to form, the interiors are decorated tastefully with period and antique memorabilia to give it that charm of yesteryear.

Travelling with the family? Try the self-contained apartments at Quest Ipswich just 1km from the CBD, complete with outdoor pool and a mass of greenery two streets down at Limestone Park.

While there are perks to staying close to town, Jolie admits there’s also reward for those who don’t mind a commute. About 40 minutes from the CBD, Spicers Hidden Vale is a luxurious country retreat set on 12,000 acres of Australian bush, home to restored heritage cottages and one of the sexiest resort pools in the state.

Play

“There always seems to be something going on in Ipswich, whether it is a festival, Eat Local Week, CMC Rocks, or local theatre productions, markets, and food stalls on the main street,” Jolie says.

If you’re a train lover, Jolie recommends choo-choo-choosing The Workshops Rail Museum as numero uno on your Ipswich to-do list. Even if you’re not a transport fanatic, you’ll still come away impressed and full of locomotive trivia knowledge after a few hours exploring Australia’s oldest railway workshops still in operation.

Families needn’t fret about keeping the kids occupied either, with playgrounds galore, nature trails, and an award-winning art gallery renowned for being the first in Australia to dedicate a permanent and interactive gallery space solely for children.

“Ipswich is a great jumping-off point for lots of activities in the Scenic Rim,” says Jolie, so why not put some more miles on your out-of-city escape and explore what Brisbane’s World Heritage-listed backyard has to offer.

Experience

Ipswich is the oldest provincial city in Queensland, but if you think it’s only history buffs who’ll get a kick out of the region’s rich heritage (fun fact: in the 1850s, Ipswich aspired to become the capital of Queensland, but lost this honour to Brisbane), guess again.

“Most people don’t realise how amazing some of the architecture is in Ipswich. There are some really beautiful homes, so as a real estate ogler, I always recommend people check out some of the buildings,” Jolie says.

Put on your walking shoes and get strolling with the city’s Heritage Trail Guides, available from the Visitor Information Centre or online via the council website. When you’ve ticked off the CBD, take your cue from Jolie and extend your search to the ‘burbs for a squiz of the Pinterest-worthy historical houses and cottages.

When to go

Spring hits the right spot in Ipswich, says Jolie, with flawless weather – not too hot, not too cold, and sunshine for days – and a buzzing feel throughout town.

“[It’s] almost as if everybody is emerging from hibernation.”

Getting there

You can reach Ipswich within the hour via car or train from Brisbane (give or take a few minutes depending on your location).

As Jolie points out, nothing is very far once you’ve landed in the CBD so you can ditch the four wheels for two feet or a cute cruiser (bike hire available from Ipswich Cycles).

Have you been to Ipswich? What was your favourite discovery?

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[thebibliosphere]

Patreon recipe questions: kosher cookies?

I had an interesting ask which I now can’t find my answer to, so it looks like tumblr ate it somewhere along the queue to posting stage so I’ll just quickly answer it again sans pictures and come back and redo it properly later on—sorry I can’t remember your tumblr name to tag you! :( 

The question was: “I want to make my mom’s cookies for my friend’s birthday, but I think they keep kosher, do I need to change anything? and if so do you have a kosher cookie recipe? also how do you cook for someone with allergies?”

I’ll start this by saying—I’m not Jewish. I merely grew up in a house that was heavily influenced by my Jewish family background so keeping kosher in our house was more out of familial habit than an actual need to adhere to Jewish law apart from my father who worked as a Jewish butcher for some 20 odd years. As a result I may or may not have a few crossed wires somewhere, so if any of my Jewish friends spot something I say which is incorrect, I would love for you to correct me so I can edit it and post the correct info.

And also wow this got long so I am going to throw this under a cut.

If you’ve got a baking question you’d like to throw my way, PM me over on [Patreon] or drop me a line on [Tumblr]. Even if you think it’s really really silly and don’t want it to be a public post, please feel free to ask! We all start learning somewhere :)

-tumblr mom xoxox

When baking for anyone, it’s always a good idea to find out a few vital things about them, such as allergies and food restrictions—and to absolutely respect those restrictions whether they are are a medical necessity or by choice. I can’t tell you how many times someone has thought in the past that I am just being a “picky” eater and accidentally-on-purpose poisoned me because they didn’t believe me when I said eating certain vegan ingredients will make me projectile vomit 30 minutes after the first bite and risk putting me into shock. Don’t be that person. You wouldn’t go up to someone with a peanut allergy and lie about putting peanut butter in your cookies...at least I hope you wouldn’t, because I’m pretty certain on top of making you an asshole it might also constitute towards a deliberate murder charge at worst. It’s the exact same for other allergies, though they are often afforded little consideration compared to the peanut one. Ask them, and do everything you can to avoid cross contamination in your home wherever possible. 

If you think your friend might keep kosher, it’d be a good idea to find out for sure, and how strict the are with it—along with any other possible food issues. 

(There’s also a difference between regular kosher and keeping kosher on Passover which means having to also exclude extra things like wheat, spelt, barley, oats and rye—so that means no cookies until the end of Passover.)

If they are very strict with their keeping of kosher, they might politely decline your kind offer on the basis that even if you manage to get all kosher ingredients, your kitchen itself and your utensils, are not, and they run the risk of contamination. There’s a reason for why the kosher certification is so important on food products. It’s not just about the food itself, but how it is handled and processed, things like meat and dairy never being kept on the same counter/shelf and there’s a whole process involving your rabbi coming to your house and submerging your things in boiling water and a few other things I am likely not remembering from my childhood growing up with a kosher butcher for a father.

Don’t take it too harshly if they do, and respect that wish. You made a nice gesture and the thought will be appreciated. It’s always bullshit when other people feel guilted into eating foods which may or may not be good for them, either physically or spiritually.

If your friend is okay with your kitchen not being officially kosher, then you can jump right ahead to buying your kosher ingredients and baking them cookies. If you want to be extra considerate invest in a new mixing bowl, spatula and bake tray. I have sets of utensils which while not officially koshered by a rabbi, are kept separate from my other utensils which might be used to mix/cut mixed ingredients. I do the same for gluten free and nut allergies with designated mixing bowls and baking mats and spoons (ours was the house of deathly allergies growing up, it just took some 30 years for my allergies to emerge in the form of an auto-immune meltdown) which are kept in separate cupboards. This is in general good practice if you bake regularly for friends with severe food allergies, though those of us with said allergies understand it’s a hassle and don’t expect you to do it by default. We’ll just keep politely declining offers of food, and wishing people didn’t react to those rejections like we’ve just murdered their firstborn over a flapjack.

Assuming your friend is okay with your kitchen not being officially kosher there are still some things you need to take into consideration when picking your ingredients and prepping. I have one friend who greases her cookie sheets with leftover bacon fat—for the added flavor. Needles to say this is not kosher and should be avoided. Use a vegetable based oil instead to line any bake tins or trays.

Butter is technically kosher as it comes from cows which are considered kosher animals, but unless it’s certified kosher on the label, there’s a chance it’s been produced alongside other meat based products (gelatin or rennet) and could be contaminated and is therefore not kosher and should be avoided when trying to bake kosher. If it says kosher certified on the label? Go for it. If not? Well, we’ll be sticking with margarine, which is non dairy. 

Also it’s an important distinction to make, if you do use dairy product in your cookie rather than margarine? You need to tell the person as it might affect the rest of their diet for that day. Part of keeping kosher means not eating meat and dairy at the same time, and some people depending on their beliefs, might need to wait an hour to six hours before consuming a dairy product before or after eating red meat. So depending on how strict your friend is, it would be a good idea to tell them it’s a dairy based cookie, even if it is kosher based dairy. 

Same with your chocolate chips, go for non dairy milk ones like dark chocolate (although it sounds like it, cocoa butter is not dairy, it’s the fat from the cacao bean). If they need to be absolutely certified kosher, then kosher chocolate brands off the top of my head include Equal Exchange and Schmerling’s, both of which bake fairly well when you chop the chocolate bars up into chunks/melt down to make a drizzle. I think Theo Chocolates are considered parveve (neutral) too, if not actually certified kosher. Google around and see what else you can find or ask at your grocery store.

Eggs are considered to be pareve, meaning they do not fall under the meat and dairy rules of kosher, but you will however need to check them for blood spots in the membrane, as those make them non kosher. When prepping eggs for a kosher recipe, crack them one at a time into a separate small bowl, then add them into your mix one at a time in order to avoid the risk of contaminating a whole batch with a blood spot. (I speak from experience, also this is just generally a good way of cracking eggs to avoid getting shell in your mixes for people who struggle with cracking eggs neatly into a mixture) 

The recipe I am familiar with for kosher cookies was the one my Jewish great grandma taught my dad (who didn’t care, so then she taught my mother after they were married), and after googling around for some other kosher cookie recipes, it looks like the same one found in Second Helpings, Please! by Norene Gilletz and Harriet Nussbaum, so this recipe is at least 50ish years old, and I can attest to it tasting good as it was the only version of an “American cookie” we ever ate as kids in Scotland :)

I’ve kept this in cups cause my asker was American, but if anyone wants grams or oz I can find my scales and work it out <3

Things you will need:

2 bowls, a sifter or whisk, a mixing spatula/spoon, and a baking sheet (2 is better cause then you can bake the whole mix at once).

Dry ingredients.

1 cup all purpose flour. 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (if you have it, if not do 1+ 1/2 cups all purpose or substitute in oatmeal flour or even rice flour for added texture/flavor, oat meal gives it a bit of a nutty flavor, rice flour will make it sweeter) 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.  1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt 

Wet ingredients

2/3 cup of margarine softened at room temperature (do not melt, you need the fat structure intact to carry the sugar, alternatively 1/3 vegetable oil works too. If this is too dry, try adding a little more. I tend to add oil slowly in by feel these days). 1/2 cup finely granulated sugar. 1/2 cup of light muscovado (brown sugar) tightly packed. 1 egg. 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Extras: throw in one cup of your choice of chocolate chips (or extra of your choice eg. raisins, chopped nuts)

Method:

Preheat your oven to 350′f and either line or lightly grease your cookie sheets.

In one bowl beat together your wet ingredients until light and creamy. And because I get asked this every now and then, yes when it comes to baking, sugar is considered a wet ingredient. This is because it is a liquifier, not a stabilizer like flour. And just to really fuck with your head, eggs thought not dry, are considered a stabilizer because they give food structural stability. Which is why the more sugar you add into something, the gooier/softer it will be (like the famous American cookie texture) and also why successful gluten free baking (usually high in sugars) that doesn’t have the textural experience of eating mushy sweet drywall, requires more eggs than your usual cookie mix in order to retain shape/moisture. themoreyouknow.jpg

Anyway, set your wet mixture to one side, then in another bowl sift together your dry ingredients. If you don’t have a sifter throw your dry ingredients together and give them a whisk round to make sure they are thoroughly blended. Add about half your dry mix to the wet until you get a gooey mix, add in your 1 cup of chocolate chips, then add in the rest of your dry mix until well combined. It should be sticky but not runny.

Next take your prepped baking sheets, and drop 10ish tablespoons of the batter onto each one and bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and firm at the center. Then remove from oven, allow to sit on the hot tray for another 2 mins, then allow them to cool on a wire wrack. Allow to cool mostly the whole way before serving. 

These will keep well for up to about 3-4 days in an airtight concealer, and can be frozen for up to a month. (longer if you don’t use whole wheat flour, which goes rancid quicker than all purpose white flour). You can also freeze the raw mix ready for throwing in the oven, for up to about a month, then add on 1-2 mins for bake time to make sure they are cooked the whole way through 

And that’s how to make a kosher cookies for friends who keep kosher. Good luck with your baking friend, and please tag me and let me know how it goes! :)

[officialvalbarnes]

GFAF Expo Favorites 2017

Hey guys! This past weekend I went to the GFAF Expo that took place in Atlanta. I can’t believe that it was my fourth year going to the expo and being a part of the blogger program. First and foremost, I would like to thank all the people at the GFAF Expo for having me be a part of the blogger program. Each year I have so much fun and this year was no different. Every year, they have classes you can attend at the expo and this is the first year I actually attended some of the classes since I’m usually busy doing blog stuff. I highly recommend checking them out because they are informative. 

There were a lot of familiar faces at the expo (Enjoy Life Foods, Mahatma, Veggie Fries, etc) and I met a lot of new faces at the expo that became my newest obsession. If you want to see some of my experience at the expo, I actually vlogged it and put it up on my Youtube channel. Be sure to click here to see the vlog and also be sure to subscribe as well as give the video a thumbs up if you enjoy it! I will also insert the video below! 

Today, I’m going to be talking about some of my favorite products from the GFAF Expo. I’m super excited to share them with you, so let’s just get started!

- BFree (Be Wheat & Gluten Free) Pita Bread

This brand was the sponsor for the GFAF Expo blogger program. Prior to the GFAF Expo, I had never heard about them. Apparently, BFree is an Irish company that is expanding to the US. Exciting right?! I love their products because they are not only gluten-free, but they are dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free and soy-free (YAY!). How freaking amazing is that?! One of my favorite products I tried at the expo was the Pita Bread. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a love for pita. I don’t eat it as often as I used to, but the love is still there. Haha. Their pita bread is made in a stone fired oven and it tastes so good! The pita bread is high in fiber, non-GMO, and suitable for vegans in addition to all of the stuff I said earlier. Haha. I definitely recommend trying this pita bread out and checking the brand out because they have great products. 

- Path of Life Cauliflower & Pea Curry

Everyone who knows me knows that I love curry. Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. They flavors are so amazing like ahh, I just love Indian food. Haha. I came across the Path of Life booth and instantly gravitated towards the Cauliflower & Pea Curry because I love curry and I love cauliflower. This curry is a blend of cauliflower, peas, fire-roasted tomatoes, curry seasoning, extra virgin olive oil, shallots, garlic, cilantro and lime juice. I love this stuff so much that I came back around to the booth and got another sample on day one and got another sample on day two. #NoShame haha. I had some of this stuff for dinner like a few nights ago and it’s just SO good! Besides the flavor, I really love the fact that it’s super easy to make because it’s in a frozen steamable bag and it’s ready to eat in like 4 minutes. Yes, 4 freaking minutes. All you have to do is pop it in the microwave for 4 minutes and it’s ready. Plus, the ingredients aren’t hard to pronounce. It’s convenient, tasty, and clean. I highly recommend trying this Cauliflower & Pea Curry from Path of Life. 

- Path of Life Southwest Quinoa 

Another favorite of mine from the Path of Life booth was the Southwest Quinoa. I loved the flavor, plus this dish is a great source of iron and protein. The Southwest Quinoa is a blend of cooked white quinoa, cooked red quinoa, mango, fire roasted corn, cooked black beans (black beans, water), extra-virgin olive oil, fire roasted tomatoes, poblano peppers, cilantro, lime juice, sea salt and organic black pepper. I will say that I’m not a big fan of mangoes. Besides that, I really enjoyed this dish. Like the Cauliflower & Pea Curry, it’s in a steamable bag and is ready to eat in 4 minutes after popping it into the microwave. 

- Veggie Fries Broccoli & Sweet Potato Tots

You guys know how much I love Veggie Fries. I’m a fan of the chickpeas, potatoes, and red peppers fries as well as the broccoli and potatoes fries. They are so good! The Veggie Tots are a new product and I liked them. There are 2 Veggie Servings in Every 12 Tots, they are low in sodium, they are Non-GMO, and they are a good source of protein as well as fiber. You have to try these tots!

- Pure Luxe Turkey, Split Peas, and Salmon Dry Dog Food

I’m always on the lookout for dog food products that will help benefit Brownie and keep her feeling as well as look healthy. I came across this dog food at the expo and what drew me in was the fact that the company was based here in Georgia (I love supporting local businesses) and the packaging. The packaging of the dog food looks really nice. What I love about this dog food is that it’s 100% grain free. There isn’t any corn, soy, wheat, dairy, fillers, by-products, artificial colors or preservatives in this dog food (YAY!). Nowadays, it’s hard to find dog food that doesn’t have dye number whatever and filler this and filler that, you know? I also love that this dog food has coconut oil and omega 3 fatty acids to help support skin & coat health and that it is for all life stages meaning you can give this to a puppy and to an adult dog. It has been taking some time for her system to get used to a new kind of food like any other dog, but so far she seems to like it. I’ll give you guys an update and do like a little review on the dog food. It should be on the blog soon. 

- Enjoy Life Plentils Thai Chili Lime Lentil Chips

I love Enjoy Life products and this has been added to my list of favorite things from Enjoy Life. When I saw this at the Enjoy Life section (if you saw my GFAF Expo Vlog, you would know what I mean), I was immediately intrigued and wanted to try them. Apparently, they are the newest plentiful chip flavor. You can taste the lime and there’s a hint of spice to them as well that I like. Like always, these chips are free from gluten, wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, soy, shellfish, casein, sesame, and sulfites. You should try these chips out! 

- Milton’s Himalayan Salt Baked Chips

Milton’s was a favorite of mine when I went to the expo last year. I really liked the taste of these chips. When I first tasted them at the Milton’s booth, I did feel like they were a tiny bit too salty for me. Maybe it’s just me, I don’t know. I still like the chips though. They taste light and crunchy. Some of the ingredients include corn, rice, lentils, and chickpeas. I feel like these chips would pair really nicely with any dip, so definitely go pick up a bag.

- Simply 7 Quinoa Sea Salt Chips

I got these chips in the GFAF Expo swag bag you receive when you enter the expo. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t know exactly how these chips would taste. Haha. These chips were surprisingly good. They have clean ingredients, 0 grams of trans fat, no artificial colors or flavors, no added preservatives, and they are gluten free of course.These chips are a great snack to have if you’re in a potato chippy mood but don’t want the fat and carbs of potato chips, ya feel? Haha. 

I hope that you guys enjoyed my GFAF Expo Favorites 2017 post. Did you go to the GFAF Expo? If so, what were some of your favorites from the event? If you didn’t go, what products are you excited to try out of all the products I mentioned above? Tell me all of this in the comments below. I hope that you are having a fantabulous day and I’ll see you in my next post! Bye :) 

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Eating Healthy With Allergies

           Being in a health profession major means that I’ve heard a lot about nutrition and how to eat healthy. However, we often do not discuss how to alter healthy recipes and guidelines to accommodate allergies or food preferences. I’m allergic to eggs so I get to miss out on some of the best food I’ve ever had. The hardest meal to avoid eggs is breakfast. Everyone I’ve ever talked to about what to have for a healthy breakfast says to have eggs, and then when I tell them I can’t have them without getting extremely sick and ending up in the hospital they don’t really know what to say besides “oh that’s horrible, I’m sorry” or telling me to have oatmeal or a breakfast bar. As a gal who loves breakfast and all the amazing foods that are associated with breakfast, this advice doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve had to experiment a lot on my own with trying to find healthy breakfast alternatives. The best recipes I’ve discovered that work for common food allergies are vegan or vegetarian options. This week I tried a new recipe for French toast, which has been my hardest thing to give up since I discovered my egg allergy.

Vegan Blueberry French Toast Breakfast Muffins:

           1 cup Milk

           1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

           1 tablespoon almond meal

           1 tablespoon maple syrup

           1 teaspoon vanilla extract

           1 teaspoon cinnamon

           2 teaspoons yeast

           ¾ cup blueberries (frozen or fresh)

           9 slices of soft bread

Crumble topping:

           ¼ cup oats

           1/3 cup pecans

           ¼ cup coconut sugar

           3 tablespoons butter at room temperature

           Dash of Himalayan pink salt *

 *I did not use this form of salt because it is hard to find and has higher sodium than regular salt.

 To see instructions for baking go to 

https://www.veggiesdontbite.com/vegan-baked-blueberry-french-toast-breakfast-muffins/

 I don’t often follow the whole recipe exactly because I’m not vegan or vegetarian so I don’t want to limit myself to that extreme. For example, most vegan recipes call for cashew or other nondairy milk; I only follow this guideline when I also make food for my lactose intolerant roommate. She does the same for me, whenever she uses vegan or vegetarian recipes she will use eggs instead of the replacement, or she will add eggs into the recipe.

Instead of using vegan or vegetarian recipes, sometimes it’s easier to just use a substitute. The most common allergies I’ve come across are to milk, wheat, and eggs.

Milk

This is the easiest to substitute since you could use dairy free milk or if you are out and need milk right away you could substitute 1 cup of milk with 1 cup of water or equal parts of water and fruit juice.

Wheat

Cooking with a gluten free recipe can be very difficult, especially if you don’t have premade gluten-free flour. To substitute 1 cup of flour you could use 7/8 cup rice flour, 5/8 cup potato starch flour, 1 cup soy flour and ¼ cup potato starch flour, or 1 cup corn flour.

Eggs

You can buy Egg Replacer in the gluten-free/organic isle of supermarkets, and these usually are a powder that you mix with water. However, this is fairly expensive and it is often easier to use common household ingredients. To substitute one egg you could use:

·      1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 tablespoon water, 1 tablespoon vinegar

·      1teaspoon yeast dissolved in ¼ cup warm water

·      1 ½ tablespoon water, 1 ½ tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon baking powder

·      1 packet of gelatin, 2 tablespoons warm water (Do not mix until ready to use)

The Food Allergy Research & Education website is very helpful with finding ways to avoid allergies. For those with peanut, tree nut, soy, fish, shellfish, etc allergies this site also has information about how to not expose yourself and work around these allergies in a variety of different settings. 

https://www.foodallergy.org/allergens/peanut-allergy

References

DeSantis, Sophia. "Vegan Blueberry French Toast Breakfast Muffins." Veggies Don't Bite. Veggies Don't Bite, 03 Jan. 2017. Web. 

"Managing Food Allergies at Home - Food Allergy Research & Education." Managing Food Allergies at Home - Food Allergy Research & Education. Food Allergy Research & Education, 2017. Web.