Join me for some crap eradication. Heh.

Well I don't know if you've heard, but refined sugar is like, real bad for you. Personally, it makes me lethargic and moody. Have you ever paid attention to what it does to you?
I want my tiny human to have truly healthy eating habits come naturally to her so I have started phasing the fake, sugary food out of my kitchen. Here are some magical suggestions that have kept her oblivious to my sneakiness and have kept my sweet tooth satisfied.

Frozen Yogurt Bites
This one is simple. Put some wax paper on a cookie sheet. Then, spoon some yogurt (read the label - make sure it's "crap" free yogurt) into a ziploc baggie and snip off a bottom corner. Pipe little dallops onto the wax paper and pop it into the freezer for an hour.

Ava looooooves these. She thinks the are candy! Yay mom's letting me eat a bunch of candy!!! Maybe because they are in the shape of a chocolate chip?

 Idea taken from http://www.onegoodthingbyjillee.com

 Fudgesicles
2 T cocoa powder
1/2 cup canned coconut milk
2 small, very-ripe bananas
scant 1/16 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional: feel free to add peanut butter!

Combine all items in a blender. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze.

These are so. good.

Idea taken from Pinterest - link to original source not working

German Chocolate Fudge Bites

3/4 cup pitted dates
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/16 tsp salt
2 T cocoa powder
2 T shredded coconut
1/3 to 1/2 cup raw pecans
optional: feel free to add some chocolate chips

Throw everything in a food processor and form into bars, balls, or whatever you want.

These have been a LIFESAVER for me. They are seriously so good - they taste like brownies.

Recipe from www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com - check out the rest of her desserts.

I will also direct you to some other raw and refined sugar-free recipes that I looooove.
http://gimmesomeoven.com/no-bake-energy-bites/ (I change up the ingredients in this one a little bit to keep it raw)
http://www.adashofcompassion.com/2011/01/raw-cookie-dough-bites/ - I replace the chocolate chips with goji berries (see below)

I love all these new flavors I am experiencing.

I have a few other things up my sleeves to try - chocolate pudding made from coconut milk, beet chips, and some fruit leather. I'll let you know how they go!

Blendtec love

Soooooo my in-laws got us a beautiful machine for Christmas. A Blendtec. Makes me so much happier about making my green smoothies every morning.

BEHOLD:

It is a beautiful machine that will change your life. It makes smoothies, ice cream, nut butters, SAUSAGE, bread, soups, salsas, flours, marinades, basically anything you want. It is magical.

And I want to share a delicious treat I devour at least 4 days a week.

So you take some perfectly ripe bananas (I like to raid the we-need-to-get-rid-of-this-produce-before-it-goes-bad cart at the grocery store on Thursday nights) and you peel them and cut them into about 6 or 7 pieces, put them in tupperware or ziploc bags (the bags worked best), and put them in the freezer.

 

  After they are all frozen and you have a craving for something sweet, throw a good handful and a half of bananas in your blender with a splash of milk and a teaspoon or so of cocoa (and sometimes I throw in a TBS of peanut butter) and blend.

DEVOUR

This has nothing to do with banana ice cream but it is pretty awesome. I mean, I can't think think of a better hangout than a laundry basket. And that's totally a Reader's Digest she's reading.

Uh yeah. That's delicious.

It has happened.

I have finally consumed tomato soup.

I know that it's not really ground-breaking but I have gone my whole life without touching the stuff. I (rightfully) blame my parents. They said it tasted (and I thought it looked) boring and gross.

Enter a new recipe, 2011. Rave reviews by foodie friends. I decided to try it and I am so glad I did. It is delicious. The flavors are so rich and complex. Paired with a some Pao de Queijo (Brazilian cheesey bread), it's basically tomato soup and grilled cheese for adults.

Tomato Soup
1/2 c butter
1 c celery, chopped
1 c onion, chopped
1/2 c carrots, shopped (like chopping, only fancier)
1/3 c flour
2 28 oz cans whole tomatoes
2 T sugar
1 T basil
1 T marjoram
1 bay leaf
4 c chicken broth
1 can coconut milk
1/2 T paprika
1/2 T curry powder
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Melt butter. Sautee vegetables until soft. Add flour. Add remaining ingredients up to chicken broth and simmer for 45 minutes, covered. Remove bay leaf and puree in blender or with immersion blender. Stir in remaining ingredients. Devour.

But seriously. Even Ava literally licked her bowl clean.

These are the happy, airy, doughy, crunchy, little pao de queijos (and they're gluten-free! but like traditionally GF, not GF after substitutions). Find the recipe here.

Good morning!

So there is a fall chill in the air 'round these parts. It is wonderful, albeit strange because my low tolerance for hot and humid was not really reached this summer. Anyhoodle, this breakfast was the perfect companion to a crisp morning.

Oatmeal and Almond Meal Cinnamon Pancakes
*adapted from glutenfreehomemaker.com

1 1/2 c. almond meal*
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 TB sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs
1/2 c milk
1/2-3/4 c oats**

Mix dry ingredients, add wet. Cook like regular pancakes***. Pour on the syrup (they don't really need butter) and nom nom nom.

A few notes.
*So almond meal is expensive. I believe it's around $9.00 for the bob's red mill at the grocery (i got a really good deal on amazon a while back). If you don't feel like splurging for that, you can grind your own (raw) almonds at home or you can sub regular flour for some of the almond meal. IF you do that though, you'll miss out on the low carb, high protein benefit of these little babies.
** I just kept adding oats until I had a good pancakey batter consistency.
*** You can make 5 fairly large pancakes from this recipe. I would suggest making small pancakes though because these are very filling, especially if you're serving them to little ones or with something else.

Pancakes without the carb hangover. Perfect.

Take THAT USDA Food Pyramid.

Yeah. So I have issues with the USDA. And the FDA. Remember that pyramid you were taught in school? The one with grains on the very bottom? Well, grain shouldn't be there. Fresh fruits and veggies should.

My good friend, Emily, is a genius. She has discovered green smoothies and has passed on the wonder to me. The basic point of drinking them is to get as many raw, green, leafy veggies into your body as possible. Don't worry, you add enough fruit to it to make it taste delish. It is working wonders for my skin, energy level, and cravings for junk food. In fact, I have cut sugar completely out of my diet. And I don't feel deprived. I crave good food. And that? Feels amazing.

Anyhoodle, here's the one we (Ava and I) made this morning (best breakfast ever):


Two huge handfuls of spinach and about 7 little baby bok choys

About a TBS of flax

An apple and some mango (sometimes a little stevia)

Some mixed, frozen berries

Blend and enjoy. Yum.

Even she likes it (I love how she knows she needs to make a face when the camera is out. Now I just need to teach her to smile).

And here's the official Green Smoothie Girl to give you the basics.

A different kind of pizza sauce

So my mom got me a gluten-free cookbook recently and it is a little bit genius. The flour mix is good, though I still have much practicing to get the outcome right on some recipes. It's called Cooking for Isaiah by Silvana Nardone (her son's name is Isaiah and he is gluten-free and dairy-free).

Silvana has a fabulous recipe for pizza dough (hallelujah! You would not BELIEVE how hard it is to replicate pizza dough without wheat flour. It's probably right below phyllo dough on the list of impossible things to make gluten-free) and even better recipe for a pizza sauce that wheat-eaters should definitely get to enjoy as well. You're welcome in advance.

Silvana's Pizza Sauce
2 TBS olive oil
1 tsp capers - rinsed, drained, and patted dry
1 tsp tomato paste
2 seeded and chopped red bell peppers*
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 c. water**

In a skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the capers and cook until golden, about 1 minute. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 8 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and cook until tender, about 10 minutes; season with salt. Transfer to a blender or food processor **and add water; puree until smooth. Spoon onto your pizza crust like you would marinara sauce. Enjoy!

I put chicken sausage, red bell pepper rings and red onion on this pizza. I will be making this again. A lot.


* I used one red bell pepper and one yellow one. Delish!
**I didn't add any extra water to this recipe. Use your own judgment. If it's too much like paste, add the water.

Salad can be delicious

So I love a good asian salad with the water chestnuts and the sesame seeds and the dressing and the wontons. The wontons are probably the best part. The problem is this: I can't eat wontons anymore because of the whole celiac disease thing. What good is an asian chicken salad without the crunch of the wontons? How many times can I say 'wonton' in one paragraph? I was craving a-one-of-these salads so bad last week that I finally just made up my own version. I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier but I used snow peas in place of the wontons - just as much crunch and a lot healthier.

For the salad dressing:
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp coconut milk (optional)
1 tsp rice vinegar
1 TBS agave nectar or honey

Mix everything together and refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the chicken:
(you can obviously nix the meat)
3 med/small chicken breast
3 cloves of garlic, roasted*
1 TBS oil
1 splash of sesame seed oil
1 inch of ginger root, peeled and sliced
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 brown sugar
1 TBS fish (or oyster) sauce
Mix the soy sauce and sugar. Warm the oil and sesame seed oil in a skillet and sautee the garlic. Add the chicken and cook until almost done. Add the ginger, sugar and soy sauce, and fish sauce. Reduce heat and simmer for 7ish minutes (or until most of liquid evaporates). Remove the ginger chips when done.

*You can just mince the garlic but I just love the creamy consistency of roasted garlic.

For the salad:
2 large hearts of romaine, washed and chopped
1 red pepper
1 or 2 handfuls of snow peas
2 oranges, pith removed, sections cut out and chopped
1 can of sliced water chestnuts, chopped
2 green onions, chopped

Assemble salad, put chicken on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with dressing. Delish.

Kitchen fun

So my mom got me this butter crock for Christmas. I was a teensy skeptical but it turns out this thing is awesome. It uses water to make a seal so that your butter stays fresh and spreadable at room temp. Genius. Thanks, momma!



Also. In an effort to eat 80% less meat at our house (for health, economic, and moral reasons) I am furiously searching for delicious, easy-on-the-wallet, filling vegetarian dishes (that use non-processed ingredients). In my search I stumbled upon a recipe from Smitten Kitchen for a pasta dish. Asparagus, spiral pasta, tarragon, lemon, and goat cheese. I've tried goat cheese in the past and haven't cared much for it but in this dish, with all the lemon and asparagus, it is yummy. ALSO the melted goat cheese is a fabulous substitute for a regular white sauce (as Smitten Kitchen points out).



1 lb. spiral pasta
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1/4 cp. olive oil
1 TBSP lemon peel
2 tsps chopped fresh tarragon (I just used dried basil)
1 log of goat cheese
fresh lemon juice (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook pasta and asparagus (I cooked both together). Set aside some pasta water. Mix the rest of the ingredients. Add pasta and asparagus and mix until goat cheese has completely melted. Add pasta water if need be. Salt and pepper and enjoy!

gluten-free chocolate chip cookies

Danny's favorite cookies are chocolate chip. I think I've made them once since going gluten free so I decided to give them a shot. For his sake. And mine (oh how I miss the dough). I used this recipe and was pretty excited about the possible outcome. The recipes calls for just one type flour, sweet rice flour, which is kind of weird for gluten-free baking. I, of course did not have 3 cups of sweet rice flour on-hand so I had to use one cup sweet rice flour, 1 1/2 white rice flour, and 1/2 brown rice flour. White and brown rice flours are more coarse than sweet rice flour so with my substitutions, the dough and cookies turned out too gritty. And there was waaay too much sugar.

I will be making these again but with the correct flour and less sugar.





Super flat cookie. Sad.

Not an ought, not yet a teen.

Yes. I am aware that it is January 6th and I am just now posting my new year's resolutions. It's because I didn't want to break my resolutions right out of the gate so blogging about them was low on the priority list. K?K. Also, I hate using the term "new year's resolutions" because it makes me feel like a poser (I think 7th grade was the last time I used that word) who will break all those resolutions within the month of Janvier. I will not be one of those people who pack themselves into the gym everyday at the start of the new year only to stop going by the end of January. You know how I know? Because I was already going before 2011 hit.Boom. Roasted.

So without further ado, here is what I want to accomplish in two thousand eleven (in no particular order).

1. Flirt more with my husband. Be a better wife and let the small stuff go and concentrate on the positive.

2. Be a stay-at-home-mom. But Tiffany, you already are. Eh. Yeah. Technically. But I want to really be a stay-at-home mom instead of a stay-at-home-maid or a stay-at-home-get-annoyed-easily-by-the-baby or a stay-at-home-forgets-how-lucky-she-is-to-spend-so-much-time-with-my-little-one.

3. Improve my relationship with Christ. Scripture study, prayer, all those things that make me worthy of His Spirit and guidance. I need it now more than ever.

4. Pray with my husband more. I think this is the best way for us to have an intimate and infinite relationship and the best way to tell what's really on each other's minds.

5. Workout 4 days a week. At least.

6. Craft once every week. I love crafting. I love creating beautiful things. I love making my home beautiful with things I made that hundreds of other people can't buy at bed bath & beyond that don't cost me a ridiculous amount of money.

7. Waste.Less.Time. Doing who knows what? I swear I'm Fox Mulder and there are portions of time for which I cannot account. Tired of that.

8. Only spend one day a week cleaning. I have this problem with laundry that I don't finish it all in one day..... or two days..... or three.... and by the time I finish it I have to do it all over again. This may take the whole year to accomplish.

9. Take a picture everyday. A year of pictures. Maybe this will make me a better photog? We shall see.

10. Laugh more.

11. Try a new recipe every week.

12. Be a better budgeter.

Numbers 6, 9, and 11 I will share with you all.
I have a feeling that this is what my list is going to look like for years to come...

Chicken Curry... the way I like it

So I looooove chicken curry from Thai restaurants. Problem is I don't eat at restaurants very often (for economical and health reasons). So I decided, early on in my marriage, that I would try to cook delicious restaurant-y food at home (minus a good portion of the fat and sodium). Enter my chicken curry stage right. This isn't EXACTLY like the curry you would get at a restaurant - it's not as sweet as some and definitely not as soupy as most - but i love it. And so does Danny. It's kind of his favorite thing that I make.

So just in case you're feeling daring, here is the recipe. Enjoy!

Yellow Curry Paste:
1 tsp cumin (calls for seeds - I just used the ground stuff)
1 tsp coriander (calls for seeds - I just use the ground stuff)
3 tsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp crushed red pepper (original recipe calls for 2 tsps but I know you are and live with wimps)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2 cloves
1 small onion
2-3 garlic cloves (2 if they're really big)

Curry:
2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 TBSP oil
1 recipe yellow curry paste
1 can coconut milk (not fat free - messes with the taste)
4 medium waxy potatoes (gold are best, russet will work too), cubed
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1/2 tsp sugar
handful of fresh basil or cilantro

1. Make curry paste - (if you use the coriander and cumin seeds, toast them for 2-3 minutes first). Add curry past ingredients together in a blender with 1-2 TBSP water.
2. Heat oil over high and add chicken. Salt LIGHTLY (or it'll turn out toooooo salty). Saute just until pink is gone and put aside in a bowl.
3. Reduce heat to medium. Add curry paste to pan and stir constantly until most of the liquid evaporates.
4. Add half of the coconut milk and stir until the paste has dissolved then add the rest of milk, 1/2 tsp sugar, and potatoes. Heat until milk bubbles.
5. Reduce heat to med-low and simmer until potatoes are tender (10-15 minutes).
6. Add chicken and red pepper. Simmer until red peppers cook a smidge (ha).
7. Taste and add salt if needed. Serve with sticky rice.

Nom nom nom

Some deliciousness

I have recently stumbled onto some delicious things and I thought I would share. Because I'm nice like that. And because these are two things I previously thought to not be so delicious.

First off, cornbread. I've never had anything but feelings of ambivalence toward cornbread, even before I stopped eating gluten. To make it taste good I felt like I had to use an alarming amount of butter. But I have stumbled across a delicious recipe for vanilla cornbread. It is a dessert and it is delicious. Thank you gluten free goddess for this light yet filling recipe.

Vanilla Cornbread

1 C cornmeal
3/4 sorghum flour*
1/2 potato starch or tapioca starch*
1 C light brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 rounded tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp xanthan gum**
1 egg, beaten
1/2 plus 2 TBS light olive oil
1 C very warm water
1 TBS vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease a 9 inch cake pan (I used an 8x8 pyrex and it was fine).

Whisk together dry ingredients then add wet ones. Beat by hand for about a minute. Add a couple of TBS water if batter is too thick (should be like cake batter). Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until center is firm to touch. Allow it to cool for at least 15 minutes on a wire rack so it doesn't fall apart.

I served this with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries. It was delicious!

*I just put in 1 1/4 C of my favorite gluten free mix. If you're on a regular diet, congratulations. Also, you can just use 1 1/4 C regular flour.

**Us gluten free folk have to use xanthan gum to thicken up our breads and bread-like foods because of the lack of gluten.

And then we have eggplant. I didn't have a whole lot of exposure to eggplant before I went to China last summer. I'm not sure that was the best introduction to such a pretty looking vegetable. I was jet-lagged and experiencing morning sickness and it was cooked in all these weird sauces. After that trip I vowed I would never eat eggplant again. Fast forward to today. I was ambling up and down the farmer's market downtown and saw eggplants for a fabulous price and thought I would give them another try. I'm so glad I did.

Delicious Eggplant

Cut an eggplant or two (however many you want)length-wise. Brush both sides generously with olive oil and place in the bottom of a broiler pan. Sprinkle each slice with some coriander and place about 6 inches from the broiler for 5 or 6 minutes. Flip them over and sprinkle the other side with coriander. Broil for 5 or 6 minutes (I let mine get a little crunchy. mmmmmm). Pull them out and sprinkle with lemon juice, basil (fresh or dried), and salt. Eat them hot.