Merry Christmas Cookies!!!

Alas... computer issues have kept me from posting far too long!  So I've confiscated hubby's laptop and uploaded some pics to the photobucket so I can at least give you a Christmas Cookie recipe. I plan on getting that man to help me figure this thing out this weekend so I can get back to sharing with you guys all the fun baking we've been doing for the holidays! 

I hope your time this season is peaceful and a little merry too. 

I tell you.  Cookies have been a delima for us.  When you can't use an egg in the mixture cookies just kinda fizzle (to say the least).  Well this holiday season I have discovered a new thing!!!!  COCONUT! (O.K. it's sort of an old thing..... but new to me!)  Coconut milk does a marvelous job in pudding mixes (rice milk just never cut and things were always a bit runny).  Coconut "oil" (which looks a whole lot like shortening) works just marvelous as... well... shortening! 

So for all you dearies out there who just can't tolerate the soy and dairy.... this ones for you!

[I adapted this one from a recipe for Pumpkin Cookies over at Karina's Kitchen....]

Chocolate Chip Cookies

(that actually have the texture of a cookie... yahoo!!!)

Wisk the dry ingredients together:

2/3 c. buckwheat flour

1/3 c. millet flour

1/2 c. sorghum flour

1/2 c. corn starch (or tapioca or potato)

1 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. sea salt

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. cinnamon

Beat the wet ingredients with the sugar:

1 c. canned pumpkin

3/4 c. coconut oil/shortening (or Spectrum Shortening)

flax meal egg replacer for 2 eggs (or eggs if you can) ***

2 tsp. vanilla

1 c. brown sugar (or 1/2 c. agave)

Add in the dry ingredients and beat until combined:

Add in:

1 c. chocolate chips (sun chips if you can't do the regulars)

1/2 c. pecans/walnuts/or your favorite (or none if you have an allergy)

Mix in the addins.  Your cookie dough wil be soft and sticky.

Preheat the oven toe 350 degrees F. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper/ or wax paper.  Oil your hands.  Drop golf ball size clumps of cookie dough on the prepared baking sheets.  Round and flatten with your hand (not too flat).  Press a nut on top of each cookie.  Bake 15-18 minutes until firm.  Cool on wire rack.

I don't know what the pumpkin does to make that dough smooth, but YUM!  We like more chocolate chips.

These actually taste and "feel" like a cookie!!!!  Woohoo!!! 

Tips: If you are not a buckwheat fan.... go with more millet and sorghum instead!

*** Egg Replacer (this amount for each egg)
1/3 cup of very hot water
1-2 tblsp. flax meal
Stir the flax meal into the hot water and let sit while you are preparing the other parts of the recipe.  Stir every little bit until you get ready to add it to the recipe.  It's best if it has time to become more like gelatin.  Oh!  And it's got lots of healthy stuff in there for you too!

Let's Talk Turkey!

Yep! It's that season.  I'm getting ready to do some major posting of recipes and menus for the upcoming holiday.  Be on the look out the next few days for some fun stuff.

For now... let's discuss "the bird"!

Fortunately, life has grown so much better for those going GF and watching other allergy ingredients.  Food processors are listing things on the label more and leaving out the wheat more!  Woohoo!!!!  So, dearies.... read those labels!  Not all turkeys are created equal... well, at least processed equal. 

The biggest issue are the additives.  Namely, that lovely 7-15% broth ("added for flavor"... right....) that can contain more than water.  Read the fine print, leave off any flavoring packs and have a happy turkey dinner!

Coming soon with all the fixings!

Hamentaschen (Feasts of Purim Cookies)

We are studying ancient history right now with the kids.  We've reached the Persian Empire days and it's been quite enlightening!  Floating bridges, conquering armies, the orginal postal system and.. ah, yes!.... the story of Esther (Hadas'sah).  The Feasts of Purim actually don't occur until February/March-ish... but we decided that since this is the season of Thanksgiving... why not!  We're a having our feast tomorrow along with making the Hamentaschen Cookies for the neighbors and finishing our "shoeboxes" for the poor (actually Operation Christmas Child... but it works).

I was totally excited to find a gluten free version of the triangle cookie (said to be shaped like the hat of Haman... "boo...hiss!"). 

Check out this website for more info on the Feasts and other interesting info.
http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday9.htm

Hamentaschen

2/3 cup butter or Spectrum margarine

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg  (we will use the flax-egg replacer)

1/4 cup orange juice (the smooth kind, not the pulpy)

2 cups GF buckwheat
1/2 milled flaxseed
1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. cinnamon

Various preserves, fruit butters and/or pie fillings.

Blend butter and sugar thoroughly. Add the egg (or replacer ) and blend thoroughly. Add OJ and blend thoroughly. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, alternating buckwheat and flax seed, blending thoroughly between each. Add the baking powder and cinnamon with the last half cup of flour. Refrigerate batter overnight or at least a few hours. Roll as thin as you can without getting holes in the batter (roll it between two sheets of wax paper lightly dusted with flour for best results). Cut out 3 or 4 inch circles.

Put a dollop of filling in the middle of each circle. Fold up the sides to make a triangle, folding the last corner under the starting point, so that each side has corner that folds over and a corner that folds under (see picture at right). Folding in this "pinwheel" style will reduce the likelihood that the last side will fall open while cooking, spilling out the filling. It also tends to make a better triangle shape.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes, until golden brown but before the filling boils over!

Traditional fillings are poppy seed and prune, but apricot is yum. Apple butter, pineapple preserves, and cherry pie filling all work quite well.

The number of cookies this recipe makes depends on the size of your cutting tool and the thickness you roll. I use a 4-1/4 inch cutting tool and roll to a medium thickness, and I get 20-24 cookies out of this recipe.

The resulting hamentaschen will have an unusual pumpernickel color, but they taste great!

Make sure the buckwheat flour you use is wheat-free/gluten-free! Sometimes buckwheat flour is mixed with white or wheat flour. The Hodgson Mill buckwheat and flax linked above are gluten-free and have reliable kosher certification.

List of Dates

Purim will occur on the following days of the Gregorian calendar:

Jewish Year 5769: sunset March 9, 2009 - nightfall March 10, 2009

Jewish Year 5770: sunset February 27, 2010 - nightfall February 28, 2010

Jewish Year 5771: sunset March 19, 2011 - nightfall March 20, 2011

Jewish Year 5772: sunset March 7, 2012 - nightfall March 8, 2012

Jewish Year 5773: sunset February 23, 2013 - nightfall February 24, 2013

Meat Loaf with a Twist!

One night I was in the kitchen and running behind.  (Imagine that... seems more the norm.)  I had planned on hamburgers for dinner, but just did not want to roll out the patties.  Didn't want to stand there and flip... I was just in a non-conformist mood.  So I had this idea!  Meatloaf! 

Meatloaf is a word that has not been spoken in our household since tomatoes became a "no-no" in our main dishes.  I honestly had never known that meatloaf could be made without ketchup.  What to do?? I improvised and dug through my cabinets and concocted the following recipe.  It was truly not a beautiful main dish... being rather colorless.  (You can read here about my thing on colorful foods.)  I served it up to my family with some steamed broccoli on the side and held my breath!

My kids never cease to amaze me (on so many levels).  They scarffed that loaf down and asked for more.  I actually ended up making another for a Sunday meal at a friends house a few days later.  You just never know....

(This recipe could easily be adapted for your crockpot.)

I've posted my recipe and a copy of a completely different meatloaf recipe from the LivingWithout Magazine.  Both are sooooo yummy!

You Just Never Know Meatloaf

1 lb. ground meat (beef or turkey)
2 tbsp. dried onion flaked (or fresh)
1 tsp. garlic powder (or fresh)
1 tbsp. salt
1/2 c. gluten free oatmeal

Mush all this together in a bowl.  Knead until seasonings are completely mixed in.  Shape into a round "loaf" and place in large frying pan.  (I have surgical stainless steel pans that have "weighted" lids that help keep the moisture in and cook more evenly.  If your pans are not like this... just watch it a bit more carefully.)  Heat the frying pan on medium heat. You can brown one side of the meatloaf then flip it over or just leave it be.  It's up to your tastes.  I just put the lid on that baby and turned the heat down on low until it was done in the middle.  The oatmeal helped keep the moist loaf together.

Next time, I think I will shred some veggies and mix them in the loaf.  Anyway to get a veggie in a kid.

OK... if you WANT to... you CAN put ketchup on top!

==========================

This recipe comes from the http://www.livingwithout.com/ website.  (One of my fav magazines.)

Gluten-Free Meat Loaf
Serves 4

This unusual take on the classic American favorite contains no garlic, onion or peppers. You can substitute your favorite shredded vegetables in place of the broccoli and carrots. For a hint of sweetness, replace 4 tablespoons lime juice with an equal amount of orange juice.

2 pounds ground beef
2 cups mixed shredded broccoli stems and carrots
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ cup + 2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons apricot jam

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Put all ingredients into a medium mixing bowl. Knead with your hands or mix with a wooden spoon until all ingredients are well blended.
3.Form meat mixture into a loaf and place in a shallow baking pan. Bake in preheated over for 35 minutes or until cooked through. Serve hot.

Each serving contains 622 calories, 45g total fat, 17g saturated fat, 3g trans fat, 159mg cholesterol, 14g carbohydrate, 182mg sodium, 1g fiber, 40g protein.

Recipe by Liz Scott.

Saving Money with Coupons!

I admit it.  I'm a couponer.  I love saving money.  I love watching the cashier's eyeballs pop out of their head when they tell me how much I have saved.  It is a rush that is hard to describe.

However, I will be the first to admit that it is difficult to save money on a lot of the "special" foods we eat.  Rice and dried beans ... o.k., those are cheap.  But when you try to buy baking products or convenience foods.... wowzers!  Last night I ran into a store to buy some rice milk and my favorite brand had a coupon attached to the front.  Boy howdy, did I buy the rice and almond milk.  I came home with a boatload and my #3 child danced a jig in the kitchen when I unloaded them!  (He really likes his rice milk.)  I started thinking about coupons for other allergy-friendly food items.....

Today my mission was to locate healthfood type coupons.  Coupons that are not so common.  I actually found some sites that specialize in this sort of thing!

So, dearies... have fun looking, printing and saving....

Healthy Savers offers different coupons for different stores.  You can register for your location.
http://www.healthesavers.com/HealthESavers/Coupons.aspx?ViewAll=1

Mambo sprouts usually has a booklet in some healthfood chains.  You can also sign up for their email and have things mailed to you. (They have a Glutino coupon right now!)  Look around on their site because they mail samples and have contests and give-a-ways.
http://www.mambosprouts.com/sign-up.php

Hain is the parent company that carries several of the brands of GF products we use.  They have a free bi-weekly newletter that you have to sign up for.  You get the inside track recipes, special offers and promotionals.
http://register.myhaincelestial.com/sites/clientfiles/myhaincelestialregister/reg/submgmt_index.htm?sID=hp

Apple and Eve
http://www.appleandeve.com/coupon.php

Applegate Farm Coupon
http://www.applegatefarms.com/couponing/thankyou.aspx

Arrowhead Mills Promo... get free kitchen tools when you save the UPCs from their boxes.
http://www.arrowheadmills.com/whats_new/oxo/redemption_form.php

Sign up at Gluten Free choices and get a coupon...
http://www.glutenfreechoices.com/contact/family.html

$1.50 coupon at Eat Better, Live Better
https://secure.murgent.com/emopt/index.php?id=3586

Oooo... Barbara's Bakery stuff
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/barbarasbakery/newsletter.d2w/report

Cherrybrook Farms sends out coupons too!
http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/talktous/newsletters/index.php

$1 off Dreamfield Pasta!
http://www.dreamfieldsfoods.com/dreamfields-newsletter-signup.html

Food Should Taste Good Coupon (ahhh... sweet potato fries!)
http://www.foodshouldtastegood.com/#/sweet_potato/

Laura's Lean Beef
http://www.laurasleanbeef.com/

This one is not all organic/healthfood, but you can scroll down through the list to pick and choose specific coupons.
http://www.couponsinc.com/corp/source/cp_clientlist.asp

This list isn't all that's out there.  You may actually have great luck by emailing your favorite company and they will send you coupons for the products you use.

Have fun and remember every dollar adds up!

Cornbread Girl

How to reduce your stress in 15 minutes a week!

I have a friend who sits down every Sunday afternoon with a piece of paper in hand. She looks at what is in her cupboards and freezer and makes of list of main meals for the week. Simple meals, but a menu none the less. (It’s just a piece of notebook paper, nothing fancy.) She then makes a little grocery list according to what other items she needs to complete the meals plus breakfast and lunch items.

My friend keeps her grocery bill at bay, is prepared for dinner each night and manages to take care of all the many children in her home (including the one with food allergies!).

She is my hero. Wish I were that good.

It really is such a simple concept. She only takes about 15 minutes to "plan". FIFTEEN MINUTES!!! And she is ready for the grocery store and coming week’s meals. Why, oh why, is that so hard for me??

Alas.... I am doomed for the need to feel "inspired" in the kitchen. [Was that a little too dramatic? OK... reality check...]

Seriously, when I STOP and PLAN.... it is amazing what a little planning will do. I think the reason I/we/most people do not plan is because we are just not trained that way. Unlike my friend who obviously had a much disciplined mother and is a disciplined personality type herself... most of us are fly-by-the-pants kind of people. Which can be good at times... but usually doesn't help in the day to day routines.

So, why am I writing about this in a food blog? Well, because... a little planning for a few minutes each week and you CAN feed your loved one healthy, allergy free meals and snacks. And possibly save some money in the process too.

So this week, make a resolution:

1) I WILL take 5 minutes and make an easy dinner menu plan for the week. I will put the menu plan on the fridge. (So as not to loose it… which I’ve done personally)

2) Then I will take 5 minutes and look in my cabinets and freezer to see what I have. (Now is not the time to clean out the cabinets… Resist~ all my fellow highly distractible personality types! Resist! You will get side tracked from your mission.)

3) Then I will make a short grocery list for items I need and put it in my purse/pocket/Day-Timer for when I go to the store. (There again, so you won’t get to the store and slap your forehead as you call your husband and ask him to find where you left your list….)

That's all! 15 minutes of your life.
Repeat for 3 more weeks and see how you did this month!

P.S.  Make sure you put cornbread on that list somewhere (even if it's corn free cornbread)

FREE PRINTABLES:

For the "techies" out there... here is a free menu planner.  Here is a free grocery list planner.
And for those who realy want to supercharge their savings, here is a grocery list envelope (where you can put our coupons in it that you need and your shoppers card).

Fun Rollup Sandwhiches

I must be "in the zone" this morning.  3 blogs in one day! Oh, yea. Enjoy!!!

Fun Rollup Sandwiches


Tortillas (corn or other flour depending on your needs)
Thinly sliced beef, ham or turkey
Rice/Soy Cheese (if you can)
Leaves of lettuce
Carrot shreds
Vegenaise (or your favorite no-egg mayo)
Mustard

This is a fun kid meal! Just lay out the tortilla and add your favorites. Roll it up, warm in the microwave for a few seconds. Let the yum begin!

Throw some fruit with it to make a happy lunch!