Labor Day Recipes & Giveaway!

As I reminiscence this afternoon about past summers as a kid, I swear I can feel the sticky watermelon juice trickling between my fingers while I waded ankle deep on the steps of my YiaYia’s pool. Oh wait, that is probably because I man-handled a giant slice of it sans napkin at lunch…

Nonetheless, Labor Day is approaching swiftly, signaling the end of another season while the smells of summer are fading with the cooler breezes blowing through in late dewy evenings. Tulsa seems to still be sprouting some scolding temperatures during the day but fall is fighting in and I am egging on his side of the ring. When I hear the first sounds of college football this Saturday all will be right in the world.

That said, I am prepping and preparing for this closing event! Heat or not, I bet you will be firing up your grills with me, and I thought it would be nice to spark some menu ideas for you. If you think I am nice now, just hang on to your knickers because I have a surprise for you! You wouldn’t think that I would let you go into the Labor Day holiday weekend empty handed now did you?

I am giving away two Rudi’s Gluten-Free FREE Loaf Coupons and two Rudi’s sandwich boxes! Two lucky readers will receive one coupon and one sandwich box a piece!

“We know gluten-free school lunches can be a challenge. Our gluten-free breads R loaded with goodness; they R a tasty & easy solution to the lunchtime dilemma. And, unlike many gluten-free breads on the market today, Rudi’s GF breads contain no modified starches or gums, no artificial preservatives, and no artificial chemicals. Send your kids off to school and feel GOOD about what they R eating.” Maggie Garner from Rudi’s Bakery

Are you as excited as I am? I hope so! All you have to do is go onto my blog’s FB and “like” it and you will be considered for the contest. GF Indie ON FB Link Already a GF Indie facebook page follower? Leave a comment about your favorite Labor Day Weekend Tradition on the page and you will be in the running to win!

Below are some recipes from my blog that would be perfect to cook up for guests this weekend:

Lentil Walnut Burgers

Pepita Veggie Burger

Turkey Basil Burgers

Grilled Corn with Basil Butter

Baked Gluten Free Onion Rings

Cherry Lentil Salad

The King's Peanut Butter Cookies

“I’ll sing you a story of a silly young king

Who played with the world at the end of a string,
But he only loved one single thing --
And that was just a peanut-butter sandwich.”
Shel Silverstein’s Peanut Butter Sandwich

Better bow down!

There is something quite childlike about peanut butter. I used to eat enough peanut butter sandwiches to rival Shel Silverstein’s king who ate his mouth shut. I could easily devour half a jar in a sitting, heaping creamy ribbons around soup spoons. I digress. Clearly I adored and adore to the stuff. So when I saw Elana from Elana’s Pantry post PB&J thumbprints I giggled in immature delight as the hunger butterflies fluttered in my tummy. I knew what sweet ending would sate my peanut butter fever.

That night after a delicious open faced veggie burger, yes those little patties are flying out of my freezer and flocking to my plate this week, I decided I had to change up our savory palates and pile on some peanut butter. I flipped Elana’s recipe out of my purse and begin to gather the ingredients. Alas, I did not have any decent jam or jelly though. I felt my heart sink into my stomach slightly. Pride and persistence made my eyes leap through the ingredients I did have and what I did have was plenty of peanut butter. No shame in a simple peanut butter cookie…

Maybe I was thwarted by the “chopped” episode in the background but I wanted to give myself an on the spot challenge. A peanut butter cookie that was 5 ingredients, vegan, gluten free, flourless, and could be enjoyed in 10 minutes (not including cooling). Mission. Accomplished.

These PB puppies were plump and decadent, melting into delicious morsels as soon as you popped it into you mouth. I had to show some serious restraint dear readers as I am sure you will too. I dedicate these cookies to the king, whose royal passion for peanut butter held me captive in its verses while I clutched my many childhood peanut butter sandwiches.

The King’s Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients
• 1 cup smooth (or crunchy if you wish) Peanut Butter
• ½ organic brown sugar
• 1 tbs organic vanilla
• 1 tsp baking soda
• Flax egg (1 tbs ground flax seed + 2.5 tbs warm water)

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350F.Mix your flax egg in a small bowl and let sit for 10 minutes.

Combine all your ingredients in a large bowl and mix until thoroughly combined. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Form 12, 1 inch balls of dough and place them on the sheet. Do not flatten! Put that fork down and step away…I did sptinkle a teeny but of kosher salt on the top which yes I know technically makes it "6" ingredients but I am sure you can forgive me hehe.

Bake for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden brown and the cookies look “set”. Take them out and let cool for at least 10 minutes. The longer the better. They will continue to slightly cook on the sheet so do not worry if they don’t look done when you pull them out.

Plate and enjoy! I popped half in the freezer and enjoyed them last night. I highly suggest doing this if you have any left to save!
I made one dozen and saved the rest of the dough for future craving (tomorrow).

You can find Elana's Peanut Buttter and Jelly Recipe here: http://www.elanaspantry.com/

“A puff of dust, a screech, a squeak --
The king’s jaw opened with a creak.
And then in voice so faint and weak --
The first words that they heard him speak
Were, “How about a peanut-butter sandwich?”

Shel Silverstein’s Peanut Butter Sandwich

Overnight Oatmeal Bliss

I love oatmeal. It is so versatile. But I don't have a ton of time in the morning to fix it. Between working out, getting ready, getting my son ready, making his lunch, taking care of the dog, and getting my husband and son fed...Whew! You can see I don't have time to spend 15-20 minutes on my own breakfast. On my Friday's off I truly cherish this time and sit and prepare something scrumptious and time consuming.

So back to the oatmeal. I don't like mine runny so it takes a little bit to cook down the liquid needed to achieve my Indie consistency perfection. I had seen "Vegan Overnight Oats" on the Oh She Glows blog and have been contemplating throwing these together to try. I have been good about stocking my pantry with bulk ingredients so luckily I had everything to make them last night! Cold oats? Hmmm. I did make YOU wait overnight for a recipe though so I figured making myself wait overnight to try these oats was only fair. Yes, yes the things I do for you dear readers ;)

I wanted to start with the basic oats and if I liked them, then you and I can have some fun adventures! My husband said that he wanted to try them too so I doubled the recipe. I was hoping that it wouldn't mess it up. Hoping and praying because I relied on this meal for my morning fuel! It doesn't require many ingredients and took only 5 minutes to make!

I pulled the bowl out of the fridge this morning and was very satisfied that I at least already had breakfast prepared! I divided the portions between two bowls and still had some leftover. Yipee!

I forgot to snap a picture this morning but it looked like hers!

Taste test. Oh. My. Gosh. Obsessed. I was leary of eating cold oats but these were AMAZING! Truly! Creamy and the perfect consistency. We both added a tablespoon of almond butter to ours. Maple syrup was also suggested but we didn't have any organic real syrup so we skipped it. It wasn't missed.

Here is the original recipe. Like I said, I just doubled everything but then ended up with extras (not complaining!). I can't wait to add fruit and nuts to these in the future! Besides a bowl of cereal, this is probably the least laborsome and delicious breakfast I have made. Here is the link to the original recipe and comments from Oh She Glows Easy Vegan Overnight Oats

Vegan Overnight Oats

Ingredients for PM

• 1/3 cup regular oats
• 3/4 cup almond milk
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 small ripe banana, peeled and smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
Mix together all the above ingredients in a bowl and place in the fridge overnight.

AM Directions
Scoop out your desired portion into the bowl. We added one tablespoon of natural almond butter. Enjoy!

The BAR Exam

No I am not taking that BAR, but I am examining a product for you! LÄRABARs. They are a

“delicious blend of unsweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Made from 100% whole food, each flavor contains no more than nine ingredients.”

AND they are VEGAN & GLUTEN FREE!! Something that I can eat, enjoy, and reap health benefits from is definitely something I will sign up for! Here is some information from their website about their products that you can check and see if they are something that would fit in your diet:

Pure and simple, just as nature intended.

I had heard a lot about these little guys and decided that I had to try them. Now, usually my snacks aren’t store bought bars of any sort. Most granola bars on the market at packed high with unnecessary sugars and ingredients I would never put in my body! Plus, a lot of them are hiding gluten between their corn syrup sated grains. No thank you.

Larabars are truly different though. Their mission statement says it all:

“At LÄRABAR, we believe that the foundation of a sound mind, body and spirit is derived from what you eat. And what you eat is healthiest and most satisfying when it's in a whole, natural state.”


GLUTEN FREE/CELIACS LÄRABAR and JŎCALAT are Gluten Free. They have no gluten-containing ingredients, and we have manufacturing controls in place to ensure that there are no cross-contact concerns. We also periodically verify our practices using Gliadin gluten testing.

RAW DIET LÄRABAR products are made by a simple process in which fruit, nuts, and spices are ground and mixed together. They are not baked or cooked. We use simple ingredients, as close to their natural state as possible.

VEGAN/VEGETARIAN LÄRABAR and JŎCALAT are made entirely from plant-based foods. Though the vast majority of chocolate chips in the world are made with dairy, soy or both, we specifically asked our supplier to provide us with chocolate chips which are Vegan—containing no dairy. While no dairy products are used to make our chocolate chips, they are made on a line which also produces chocolate chips made with dairy products. Due to the potential for cross-contact between the types of chocolate chips made at the facility, the chips we use may contain trace amounts of dairy from those other chips; thus we cannot claim that our chocolate chip flavor varieties are Vegan.

All well and good. But how do they TASTE? That is the most important part right? My husband and I tried four different flavors. I tried peanut butter and jelly, and blueberry muffin. The Blueberry Muffin had blueberries, cashews and dates with a dash of lemon and vanilla. Soft and chewy with a hint of crunch, this Blueberry Muffin was less than 200 calories! My PB&J with the crusts cut off (hehe) had dates, peanuts, unsweetened cherries and a touch of salt. Oh and the bonus? It comes with 6 grams of protein! My husband picked Cherry Pie and Apple Pie. Oh, you gotta love that man of mine. His sweet tooth won’t be packing anything in the tummy though! Cherry pie larabar consists of unsweetened cherries, dates and almonds. Apple pie contains cinnamon and raisins, almonds, and walnuts. He said both were absolutely delicious. I’ll trust him.

The LÄRABARs were chewy, decadent, tasty, and very filling! No where near a power bar consistency that most people find disgusting. I personally always liked them at a track meets but to each his own. I suppose it did kind of resemble a rectangular block of poo.

I am always fascinated by the stories behind the idea. Why the ingredients? Why that consistency? What sparked the need for the product? Where were you when it popped in your head? Lara, the founder of Larabars (naturally), shared her story:

“It started out as just a hike, no different than countless others I've taken into the beautiful Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Little did I know I was about to come up with a mountain of an idea: Combine wholesome ingredients such as fruits and nuts to create a food product that's tasty, healthy and convenient.

In that instant, in May 2000, LÄRABAR was born. After scouring the aisles of grocery stores and noting popular flavors of ice cream and cookies, I delved into my own product development. Natural foods, I believed, should be fun and enjoyable as well as good for you. With friends and family serving as focus groups, I tinkered with recipes until a consensus on yummi-ness was reached.

The next step was to launch a company to market what would initially be five delicious LÄRABAR flavors: Cherry Pie, Apple Pie, Cashew Cookie, Banana Cookie, and Chocolate Coconut Chew. I also assembled a sophisticated manufacturing arm...what amounted to be a Cuisinart and a rolling pin. The first batch of bars I produced for retail had to be sealed by hand — all 500 of them!

Thank goodness we have machines for that job today. After all, we're producing millions of LÄRABAR's every year! They are a wholesome indulgence you can feel good about eating

And "feeling good" is what it's all about. Believe it or not, I used to be a junk food junkie — until I discovered how natural foods enlivened my mind, body and spirit. A passion for healthy living soon followed, and continues to be a driving force behind everything I do professionally and personally. I really appreciate the opportunity I have to make a positive difference in the world we live in.

Health is indeed your greatest wealth.”

Great Story. I love storytime on cloudy days like this. I look forward to trying more flavors and hope that you give these natural gems a shot as well!

Food For Thought

The other day I received an email from Rudi’s Organic Gluten Free Bakery…

“Dear Heidi:

I see that you blog about gluten-free food options, and I wanted to reach out to you on behalf of Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery. I hope you have already heard of our gluten-free breads! If not, I’d love to introduce you to them.

Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery was launched by Boulder, Colo.-based Rudi’s Organic Bakery. Rudi’s leveraged its more than 30-year heritage of making better, brighter breads to create a line of gluten-free products that look, taste and feel like regular bread, and that contain only the highest quality, wholesome, all-natural ingredients. Rudi’s Gluten-Free breads are certified gluten-free and carry the Gluten-Free Certification Organization’s (GFCO) recognizable GF symbol.

As a gluten-free blogger, we would like to send you a package complete with bread samples and Rudi’s gear.”

I was thrilled! I was going to get to try new bread and share the experience and my personal review with YOU dear readers. I have written about quite a few different gluten free breads so I was anxious to take a bite into something new. I had seen their products at Whole Foods but not anything from their gluten free line.

The package arrived about a week later.

I was anxious to see what goodies lay inside!

Special Gluten Free Delivery!

Opening the box...are you feeling the anxiousness that I felt?!

See now that was worth the wait wasn't it? They sent me their gluten free multigrain bread to try as well as a little sandwich holder. I was a bit smitten with it all.

(Yes, I realize it's just bread but it's the thought!)

Anyhoo, I immediately took out a piece and dug in. Plain. Nothing to hide or mask any flavors. And I have to tell you, it didn't need anything on top. It was rich, fluffy, buttery... If I may be so bold, the best gluten free bread I have ever had. Honestly. I haven't had non gluten free bread in a while though so I wanted to make sure that my judgement wasn't clouded. I gave out some pieces around the office without telling them that it was gluten free and everyone LOVED it! I couldn't wait to bring it home to my husband and son. Surprisingly my son, who is not gluten free, usually prefers my bread. What can I say, the boy has taste!

Shortly after, I received another email from their marketing manager informing me about their mission with the bakery and what they strive to do with their campaign. I was captivated and was immediately eager to share the news. She informed me that soon I would be receiving a special package from them announcing a program we just launched to support the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA).

Here is some food for thought from Rudi’s Organic Gluten Free Bakery:

“As you may know, there are an estimated 3 million people in the U.S. suffering from celiac disease, yet only 160,000 are diagnosed. We’re pleased to announce that Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery is working with NFCA to support education for the diagnosis of celiac disease, with our new Spread the Bread charitable program, which launched in late December.

For every dollar coupon downloaded, Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery will give a dollar to the NFCA, up to $20,000, to help in its efforts to better educate physicians in the diagnosis of celiac disease. Coupons are available on the Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery website and Facebook page.

We are also proud to announce the launch of our new Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery website. We hope this new website will provide all the detail you could need about our new gluten-free breads – from product ingredients and nutrition facts to local availability – as well as helpful information about local gluten-free events, a variety of gluten-free recipes, links to our partners and educational resources, including NFCA, the Gluten Intolerance Group, Celiac Sprue Association and Celiac Disease Foundation.

In addition to the website, we’ve also launched a new blog, Baked on the Bright Side, where we’ll be providing all of the latest news on Rudi’s Gluten-Free Bakery and the gluten-free community. We’re eager to hear what you think of the blog and website!”

Gluten Free or not, you should try this bread! And hey, it's a buck off and you'll be contributing to a good cause. It's a new year and a great way to start off with some new good deeds.

Oh and in case you haven't guessed, recipes with this bread are soon to follow this post!!

New No Bake Memory

There is always that cookie that reminds you of your Yiayia’s (grandmother’s) house. That cookie that sparks so many memories. Whether you made it with just her, or with your mum, or your cousins, or occasionally if you were feeling nice, your little sister. Have it in your head? Are the sweet smells swarming around you as you read these words?

THAT cookie for me would be No Bake Oatmeal Cookies.

I remember the smells and sounds of her kitchen while we prepped and prepared these sweet little gems. We would anxiously circle my Yiayia while she stirred the peanut butter and chocolate, her always grabbing the oats at just the right time. We would anxiously grab our spoons and clump the mixture onto wax paper, our breaths growing quicker as we tried and get the cookies on before they cooled in the pot. After the stressful task of dolloping we would enjoy the bits of batter that stuck to our spoons. Then we waited. I cannot say patiently because inevitably one of us would end up with chocolate dipped fingertips from ‘testing’ to see if they had dried. Anyone who has made these know that you can visually tell when they have dried on the wax paper but we pretended that we didn’t of course.

Unfortunately my friends, when I have made these mementos outside of my Yiayia’s kitchen it’s just not the same. Maybe the memories that were created in her kitchen are so closely attached to that recipe that nothing can really compare. All the more reason to create something just as memorable though right? And lucky for me, one of the blogs I follow posted a no bake vegan almond butter chew recipe for me to try. Only 5 ingredients and 5 minutes of my time. Which was perfect timing for me because my son had a sleepover and I had to sate their sweet tooth cravings STAT. Trust me, if two hyper first graders demand sugar, you provide sugar. Unless you have a death wish.

I varied from “oh she glows” blog’s recipe slightly in ingredients but obviously our directions our the same.

Here is the link to her recipe:
http://ohsheglows.com/2011/01/05/5-minute-5-ingredient-no-bake-almond-butter-chews/

No Bake Vegan Almond Butter Chews

•1/4 cup chunky all-natural almond butter
•1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract
•1 cup rice crisp cereal – I used Nature Path’s Organic Koala Crisp
•3 tbsp organic brown rice syrup
•2 tbs chopped bittersweet organic chocolate – I found a small container in the produce section of whole foods that was delicious!

Line a plate with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl, stir together the almond butter,

brown rice syrup, and vanilla. Microwave on high for 45 seconds. Stir well and immediately add in the rice crisp cereal and chocolate. Stir until all the cereal is well coated.
Wet your hands thoroughly and shape the mixture into ‘golf-balls’. Press mixture together firmly so it will hold. Wet hands after each ball is formed so the mixture will not stick to your hands. Trust me you need to do this or you will make a sticky mess. Plus it makes it so much easier to form the cookies.

Place the balls onto parchment paper and freeze for 10 minutes. You can keep these chews in the freezer in a sealed container. I really enjoy them straight from the freezer. They remain nice and chewy.
Her blog Makes 7 golf-ball sized chews. I somehow managed 10-12 chews but I tend to not exactly measure my ingredients. Guilty… but I ended up with more chews so we aren’t complaining!

A Very Cherry Christmas

My husband has been craving all things cherry the last few weeks. Cherry shakes, cherry cobbler, cherry this and cherry that. So of course when the

local newspaper featured a huge story on the 12 days of Christmas cookies, my husband zoned in on, you guessed it, the cherry icebox cookies. Shocking I know.

Now those of you who have followed my blog know that gluten free baking and I have had our showdowns in the past and that I have been sticking to cookie dough that steers clear of substitutions that potentially forecast a doughy flood in my oven. I make non gluten free goods for him all the time, but I was feeling rather brave yesterday. Maybe it was because I had my son home with me and he is always willing to fearlessly dive into whatever project I come up with that day. I decided that I needed to woman up and take whatever consequences this adventure threw at us. Plus my son would no doubt get a kick out of the mess that was likely to ensue on my counters and in my oven. What we mothers do to bring a smile to our little one’s faces.

After returning from the store with our ingredients and new found spunk towards the wintery afternoon’s culinary exploration, we tied our apron strings, laid out our tools on the counter, and began a sweet discovery into cherry bliss. Which of course started with breaking into the cherry jar and popping two or three in our mouth at a time. Hey, we needed all the energy we could get!

After the prep work had been finished , our aprons and faces sprinkled with sweet rice flour, and the dough nestled into saran wrapped cocoons in the refrigerator to cool, we kicked up our feet and admired the first round feat.

A couple outdoor games, art projects, and one Polar Express movie later, the cookie dough had cooled and the two us got our hands dowsed in dough once more as we sliced and situated our cookies on the pan. 9 minutes later a taste test.

Perfection.

Sweet Perfection that melted in our mouths. Oh, these cookies will for sure make Santa’s cheeks a little pinker and the twinkle in his eye a little brighter this year. This recipe makes enough cookies to satisfy Santa, the reindeer, and most the elves so expect to be sharing! Tis the season for that anyways though right? They would make darling presents for coworkers or friends. Just jazz them up in fun holiday trimmings and make everyone’s spirits bright!

Cherry Icebox Cookies

•1 cup butter, softened
•1 cup sugar
•1/4 cup organic packed brown sugar
•1 large organic egg
•4-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
•1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
•3-1/4 cups sweet rice flour
•1/2 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 cup chopped walnuts
•1/2 cup chopped maraschino cherries
•1/3 cup maraschino cherry juice


In your mixing bowl cream your softened butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Then beat in the egg, cherry and lemon juices. Slowly add your vanilla. Pour all dry ingredients in a separate mixing bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Then gradually add to the creamed mixture and mix on medium until well combined. Remove from your mixed and carefully stir in walnuts and cherries.

Divide the dough into 4 even parts and roll into a cylinder shape. The dough might be pretty thick. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3-4 hours or until firm.

Remove dough just before baking. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Unwrap a roll and cut into quarter inch slices. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Remove to wire racks to cool.

This recipe makes about 6 dozen cookies depending on how much dough actually makes it to the oven!

Easy G~Free Cookie Recipe

With Christmas caroling its way into our daily agendas, I am constantly surrounded by all sorts of treats. Christmas cards, Christmas candy, Christmas cookies…and therefore Christmas LBs.

But hey, it’s an excuse to indulge right? As long as I can hide out in my Christmas sweaters I will be a jolly ol’ Indie.

Christmas parties have been in full swing, and potlucks have popped up all over my calendar. So the question arises, “What goodie will I bring to this fete that I can eat, and I won’t subject my friends to unfamiliar grounds?” I always made sure that I brought something equally as healthy as it was pleasing. Now I have to add in the factor of of being able to devour my own dish as well. Appetizers, main dishes, sides are no sweat.

It’s the dessert my friends. The perfect ending to a meal.

The easy, go-to dessert to be exact. And what USED to be my favorite things to make? Cakes, cookies, and cupcakes. Even if I bought a boxed start to my desserts, I jazzed it up with added ingredients or my own toppings. But my dear friends, the easy grab a box off the shelf days seem to be over. At least I have not really had success with the pre mixed concoctions that I have purchased. In the four I have tried (I will leave names out as I do appreciate the company's consideration)they don’t bake right, taste grainy, or have a mudslide consistency. Maybe I am just not used to the stuff, but I don’t have the time or money this season to try every gluten free box of potential potluck pound cake.

I could make a homemade dessert that I am sure will turn out lovely, but when you are on the clock you don’t have time to spend collecting 20 different little ingredients that you will pay five bucks a piece for, need one tsp, then not need to use the ingredients for another couple weeks. By then, you are worried that the baking agents won’t hold up as well. Or maybe I am just paranoid about it's shelf life and what little I honestly know about it right now. In my own defense I took a big hit on the dessert front when I was diagnosed and havoc ensued. But that is here nor there, and I still need a dessert with less than 20 ingredients.

Much research again brought me to another “Duh, why didn’t I think of that” moment.

I have made sugar cookies and peanut butter cookies PLENTY of times in the past, and some don’t require any flour at all! Duh, Duh, Duh Mrs. Indie. I am a natural blonde, if you couldn’t tell.

Anyhoo, with those two cookie bases, my options are once again endless. An egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and some peanut butter, and I am back in the game my dears! I can top my cookie concoctions with peppermints, chocolate, nuts, fruit,assorted candies, sprinkles, frosting… I digress. My sweet tooth began to buzz.

Below is a go to peanut butter cookie recipe with holiday topper ideas

that will bring you holiday cheer, and have you smiling from ear to ear. Oh dear, Christmas has this blogger rhyming too much now I fear.

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies
•1 large free range organic egg
•1 cup sugar
•1 cup organic peanut butter
•1 tsp kosher salt
•1 tsp vanilla extract (optional but I like what it brings to my baking)

Preheat you oven to 350.

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Roll into balls and place them on a greased baking sheet. Press a fork dipped in sugar in criss-cross pattern (your cookies will be slightly flatter).

OR take advantage of cookie cutters! Instead of rolling your dough into balls, flatten out your mix on a sheet and press away with holiday designs!

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

If you plan on topping with candy:
Let cookies cool on a wire rack until they are just a little warm. You don’t want to melt your topping, but you also want it to press far enough into the cookie to stick.
Press your candy into the cookie and serve!

If you plan on icing or sprinkles:
Let cookie cool completely before adding your iced decorations. I like to buy vanilla icing and add green or red food coloring. To make your own icing piper:I mix my frosting and food coloring in a bowl, then spoon it into a ziploc bag with a spatula. Press the frosting into one tip, and then snip a little off the corner depending how thick you would like your piping. This allows you to have more fun with your icing details and look like a pro!

CHRISTMAS COOKIE TOPPERS (because I am ALWAYS in theme right?)
•Mini candy canes (whole or crushed)
•Hershey kisses
•Peanut butter cups
•Apple slices with cinnamon
•Red and/or green icing
•Red and/or green sprinkles
•Dried cranberries
•Red/Green holiday m&m’s (peanut or plain)
•Almonds
•Walnuts (go crazy and candy them!)
•Shredded coconut (snowy pb cookies)

GF Indie VS GF Baking

Welcome readers, young and old, to this never-ending battle between the oven and GF Indie. In one corner, we have the fickle flamed oven- armed with baking time and heat trickery to all gluten free substitutes, with an astounding record of 4 months undefeated wins. In the other corner, GF Indie, a determined gluten free chef, armed with a new recipe, wooden spoon, and an iron will to win.

The chef whisks and whirls her spoon into the batter, aware of the eerie red eyed glow of the oven, waiting to destroy her newest baking opponent. Can this baking battle end with the GF Indie baffling the tumultuous oven winning streak? She pops in her filled muffin cups and prepares for a possible comeback.

The minutes tick away, as the little chef eagerly checks the oven window. There is no apparent sign of burning; the batter seems to be nestled comfortably in its fluted cups. A faint sugary pumpkin smell seeps out of the oven. The battle seems to be leaning in the chef’s favor. 3…2…1…BEEEEEEP. The resounding sound of the battle’s near end echoes throughout the kitchen. Here is the moment of truth. The chef reaches in with her mitts, and pulls the muffins away from past and present potential baking debauchery.

The muffins have cooled and the results are in. GF Indie’s breath catches in her throat as she inserts the slender wooden toothpick into the center of the muffin. Clean. She braces the butter knife and delicately lets it fall into the fluffy concoction. Lifting the half into her mouth she is taken aback by the bursts of pumpkin, cinnamon and spice!

It melts lovingly with it’s tickle-to-the-tongue texture.

Alas! A win for GF Indie! This chef will no longer be the gluten free baking buffoon.

Okay, Okay, you may think that this post was a little dramatic to open with but my dear friends, this was a win for the world. I have had to deal with multiple trials and tribulations in the kitchen for months on end now. My cookies spread wildly over the pan, dripping it’s failed firming technique all over my oven’s burners. My brownies take on an unpleasant soupy state. My pies have not cooked through, and my cakes taste like I used sand instead of sifted rice flour. I have tried homemade, semi-homemade, and store bought recipes…all ending in near or all failure.

I admit this to you, because I don’t want you to think that all this change has been easy. I have had many hardships in the kitchen. I used to be wonderful at baking. It was one of the things that naturally came easy to me. I have always loved cooking three course meals and being able to end it with a blissful dessert was a specialty I felt blessed to have come into. However, all that changed when I went gluten free. Baking is a whole new ball game, and has become a battle of wits I refuse to back down from.

So this my friends, is a battle won. These pumpkin corn muffins are a real treat, and easy schmeazy to make! I was inspired by one of gluten free goddess’ recipes, but made mine a little sweeter. We could always use more ways to make life a little sweeter right?



Pumpkin Corn Muffins

•3 large organic free-range eggs
•1/2 cup olive oil
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon
•1 1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
•3/4 cup organic pumpkin puree
•1 cup organic light brown sugar
•1 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Cornmeal
•1 cup Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix
•1 teaspoon baking powder
•1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cups.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs till frothy, and add the oil; whisk to combine. Add the pumpkin puree and whisk well. Add the brown sugar, vanilla extract, cinnamon, and Pumpkin Pie Spice and whisk to combine.

In a separate mixing bowl whisk together your cornmeal, Pamela's Ultimate Baking Mix, baking powder, and salt.

Using a wooden spoon, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Stir by hand just enough to make the batter smooth. Drop the batter by spoonfuls into the twelve muffin cups filling almost to the brim.

Bake on a center rack in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes or so, until the muffins are firm to the touch and golden. Check with a wooden pick, if necessary; if it emerges clean, the muffins are done.

Let the muffins cool, then remove the muffins from the tin and place them on the wire rack to continue cooling.

Serve warm. I found they were delicious with yogurt butter, but I would imagine apple butter would be divine! We had ours the next day on the side with our navy bean soup, and would also compliment chili quite well!

Festival Foodie

I love to camp in the fall. The air is crisp, the trees are a melody of colors, and the weather is perfect. I enjoy cozying up to a warm fire and watching the embers sizzle my stress away. Another love of mine is live music in the fall. Combine them both, and well, you have my heaven on earth.
My husband and I traveled to Mulberry Mountain last weekend for Harvest Bluegrass Festival. I was excited to set a naturally gluten free menu that kept our bellies full and our hearts light as we danced away to the sound of musicians seducing the strings of their instruments. Banjoes, brats, bunches of dried fruit, and boisterous buddies made our weekend absolutely blissful.
I like to keep my menu easy when I camp. No fuss so the focus is on enjoying mother nature’s gifts. We could all use a little help from nature to get us back in the right head space. I encourage you to throw your camping gear in the trunk before the winter chill peeps it’s head in, and pack some easy snacking goodies. So here you go… a few good snacking on the go recipes to keep in mind for your next camping excursion…Or just to have around the house!

>Tasty Trail Mix
• ½ cup dried cherries
• ½ cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup unsalted almonds
• 1 cup plain M&M’s
• 4 cups rice chex

Mix together and munch away!

Puppy Chow
• 9 cups crispy rice cereal squares
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate; add peanut butter and mix until smooth. Remove from heat, add cereal and stir until coated. Pour powdered sugar into large plastic bag, add coated cereal and shake until well coated. Store in airtight container.

Cranberry Mixer
• 2 cups sunflower seeds, raw
• 1 cup pine nuts
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
• 1 cup cranberries, dried and sweetened
• 1 cup raisins

Measure all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until well combined.

Apple Pie Dip with Cinnamon Corn Chips

•1 1/3 cups peeled, cored, and diced apple
•1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
•2 teaspoons brown sugar
•2 teaspoons apricot preserves
•1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
For Corn Chips
•5 (6-inch) corn tortillas
•2 tablespoons butter, melted
•1 teaspoon cinnamon
•1 ½ tbs sugar

Combine all the dip ingredients in a bowl, then cover and refrigerate the mixture until chilled. Brush the tortillas with butter, and then cut them into wedges. Arrange the wedges on a greased baking sheet, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, and bake at 350º F until golden brown, (about 10 minutes). Let them cool before serving.

Cracking the Cracker Code

I have been buying many gluten free snacks over the past few months and while I have been pleasantly pleased, I take much more satisfaction when I am doing more with my hands besides dunking them into a box and raising them to my mouth. I have been a dedicated fan to Nut Thins, trying every flavor and combination (don’t judge my avid snacking)and found sea salt and barbecue to be my favorites. Although, I have never met a nut thin that I haven't liked. I have probably never consumed so many carbs in my life, but I think I have been justifying to myself that, “hey, I can eat that still!” I have reverted back to snacking on fruits and veggies since noticing my waist line expanding, and cut back on buying so many crackers. But sometimes, we just crave a good bit of salt or crunch in the afternoon to sate our taste buds until dinner time though right?
I was perusing different homemade snacks on other gluten free blogs, and came across a stunning almond flour recipe from elanaspantry. I have really enjoyed using almond flour for its texture, flavor and health benefits.Elana delved in a little more to its health benefits and I must say I am more intrigued than ever:

“Almond flour is highly nutritious, easy to use and readily available. For those of us watching our glycemic index, almond flour is high in protein, low in carbohydrates and low in sugars.
Unlike other alternatives to wheat flour, almond flour is moist and delicious. After having tested just about every gluten free flour out there, I can save you a lot of time and hassle when I say that almond flour is far superior to other flours in terms of taste, nutrition and ease-of-use.”

Health Benefits

1.Almonds are high in monounsaturated fats, the same type of health-promoting fats as are found in olive oil, which have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease.
2.Researchers who studied data from the Nurses Health Study estimated that substituting nuts for an equivalent amount of carbohydrate in an average diet resulted in a 30% reduction in heart disease risk. Researchers calculated even more impressive risk reduction--45%--when fat from nuts was substituted for saturated fats (found primarily found in meat and dairy products).
3.In addition to their cholesterol-lowering effects, almonds' ability to reduce heart disease risk may also be partly due to the antioxidant action of the vitamin E found in the almonds, as well as to the LDL-lowering effect of almonds' monounsaturated fats. (LDL is the form of cholesterol that has been linked to atherosclerosis and heart disease).
4.In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, a quarter-cup of almonds contains almost 99 mg of magnesium (that's 24.7% of the daily value for this important mineral), plus 257 mg of potassium.
5.Almonds appear to not only decrease after-meal rises in blood sugar, but also provide antioxidants to mop up the smaller amounts of free radicals that still result.
*Taken from elanaspantry.com

Okay, enough of the health lesson and onto the real joys of cooking with almond flour, eating it! I decided to make my own crackers to test out my new knowledge. To make sure I knew what I was getting into, I started with one of Elana’s recipes and would then play with it once I knew that it would be successful.
There are two cooking staples I think everyone should grow in the garden, BASIL and ROSEMARY. Well, and mint, but it escaped my mind to plant it this year. I have been diving into my basil plants so I thought it was time to give my rosemary its 15 minutes of fame. I found a recipe on Elanaspantry that married my two current loves: ROSEMARY CRACKERS.

Rosemary Crackers

1 ¾ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 egg

1.In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and rosemary
2.In a medium bowl, whisk together olive oil and egg
3.Stir wet ingredients into almond flour mixture until thoroughly combined
4.Roll the dough into a ball and press between 2 sheets of parchment paper to ⅛ inch thickness
5.Remove top piece of parchment paper
6.Transfer the bottom piece with rolled out dough onto baking sheet
7.Cut dough into 2-inch squares with a knife or pizza cutter
8.Bake at 350° for 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden
9.Let crackers cool on baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve

Yield 24 crackers

I know I said 15 minutes of fame, but I let me rosemary crackers bake closer to 20 minutes to make sure they became cracker-esque. Hey, it’s a blog, I can make up my own adjectives to suit my cooking.
These crackers were absolutely delicious! I tried olive tapenade on top, cheeses, prosciutto, and also enjoyed them plain. I think it may be a while before I buy another box of crackers.

A Summer Invite

The smell of sunscreen, the birds chirping outside my side patio, the bright blue sky…Ah, summer’s arms are wanting to embrace us. As I was having my morning coffee on the patio, I was thinking about what I could make for dinner to jump start our taste buds into the new season. I laid my head back, let the sun kiss my face, and as I lowered my chin my gaze fell upon the vivacious green leaves of the newly sprouted basil. And PRESTO! The dinner conflict was resolved in an instant with a delicious bowl of PESTO!

I just love the bright green color and kick it gives to so many dishes. I use it as a spread for sandwiches, top pasta with it, serve it up appetizer style for a group...the possibilities are endless. You can freeze it in cubes and save it but there is never a leftover dollop in site over in this kitchen!

Tonight, it will be a crust for chicken thighs. A delectable invitation to summer if I must say. There are so many different ways to make pesto, so choose your favorite, or follow my simple recipe below. This dinner was so easy and quick. I enjoy the decadent taste of bone in chicken thighs and I think it has more flavor, however you can subsitute chicken breasts, bone in or sans bone, just as easy. I served it with a salad to keep it simple.

Basil crusted Chicken Thighs
•4 organic, free range chicken thighs, skin on
•Fresh cracked pepper
•Extra Virgin Olive Oil
•Basil Pesto (recipe below)

Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.

Heat Olive Oil in the pan. Sprinkle cracked pepper onto the chicken thighs and place skin side down in the pan. Brown both sides (should take less than 5 minutes). Place in baking dish skin side up and coat each piece with basil pesto.
Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes and presto!

Basil Pesto
•3 cups fresh basil leaves, stems removed
•1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
•4 garlic cloves, peeled
•Extra virgin olive oil, as needed ( I am pretty liberal with it )
•1/2 cup grated Parmesan
•Pinch of sea salt

Toast pine nuts in the oven at 350 for about 7 minutes.

Put the pine nuts, garlic and about ½ cup of olive oil into a food processor and pulse. Add basil and parmesan and pulse until smooth (adding olive oil as needed).

Taste test. I add a dash of sea salt but the parmesan does give it enough salt for some.

"Mares eat oats and does eat oats..."

Oats are troublesome for many celiacs. So, you can imagine that I was pretty apprehensive to see how well I could roll with the gluten free rolled oats I bought yesterday. Some adventures in celiac land are a bit more discomforting than invigorating. I still have yet to dive into a heaping pile of scrambled eggs in the morning, and I have been putting off the question of oats now for a month. I have read many pieces of literature on the subject and they all seem to contradict one another. What I have learned is that everything is trial and error, much like life. How are we supposed to know what works for us if we don’t try it once?
At the risk of crumpling into the fetal position for an hour, I decided to roll with it (the gluten free rolled oats I mean). I was picking up my six year old from school and taking him to the park so an after school snack was a perfect way to mix in the possible antagonist. My first inclination to incorporate oats was into a granola bar of course.

“Look mommy!! Another brontosaurus footprint in the rock! Hurry, and come look!” cried Mitch, my ambitious and creative six year old. We were hunting for dinosaur fossils and footprints in Woodward Park. Granola bars in hand we decided to settle down on a ‘volcanic rock’ and discuss our findings. We talked about how some dinosaurs were herbivores and only ate plants. We fantasized about the T-Rex in all his glory and how he was a carnivore who only ate meat. Then we discussed how we are omnivores because we eat both. This slowly sunk in and I could see him connecting the dots of this new information. “These granola bars don’t have meat in them right?” Mitch inquired. “So, the brontosaurus would eat them!”

Thus the name of my granola bar was born…”BRONTOSAURUS BARS”. Don’t be fooled by the child named concoction however, because these granola bars have an adult stamp of approval as well. My husband called them addictive and I must agree. Great for on the go snacking at any time, and to sate a sweet tooth after a meal. I am sure you will be roaring with delight!

Brontosaurus Bars

•1 egg white
•½ cup organic crunchy peanut butter
•1/3 cup organic brown sugar
•¼ cup organic honey
•¼ cup agave nectar
•2 cups gluten free rolled oats (you can substitute regular if you wanted but I tasted no difference)
•¼ cup slivered almonds
•1/3 cup gluten free semi sweet chocolate chips
•¼ cup dried cranberries
•Pinch of salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Beat egg with a mixer until frothy.

Stir in the peanut butter, sugar, honey, and agave nectar. Mix until just combined.
Add the oats and almonds (and pray for no reaction…optional)
Fold in the chocolate chips.

Spray a baking dish liberally with vegetable spray, and place a piece of parchment paper inside allowing some to fall over the edge. Lightly spray the parchment paper. This will help you easily lift out the granola from the pan in one piece. Pour granola mixture into the dish and spread evenly with your spatula. Top with dried cranberries.

Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until browned. Remove from oven and let rest for one hour at least. Lift the parchment paper and flip onto a baking sheet. Cut bars into desired pieces. Let out big, booming ROAR! (I have a six year old, don’t judge)

My reaction? Just pure bliss. I am a celiac that can roll with the best of them. I suppose it just takes time and when you are ready, like any life challenge that proposes itself, you will be ready. I will leave you with a quote that this experience reminded me of,

“Wild oats will get sown some time, and one of the arts of life is to sow them at the right time.”
Richard Le Gallienne