More Kefir Creations...

After reading about the numerous health benefits of Kefir, I have been looking for ways of incorporating it into my diet. You all know I am an ice cream fanatic. Naturally, that's where my brain went. You can make ice cream from coconut milk and frozen yogurt from coconut milk yogurt. Why couldn't I make something "ice cream like" with Kefir. The resulting dessert tasted more like a sorbet than a frozen yogurt or ice cream. It was, ans is, delectable. Tangy and sweet, this frozen dessert is sure to become a healthy household favorite!

Strawberry Kefir "Sorbet"


Ingredients:

- 30 oz. Vanilla Coconut Milk Kefir
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
- 10 oz. frozen Strawberries, defrosted

Combine ingredients in a blender until smooth.
Transfer to your ice cream maker and process about 30 minutes.
Serve as soft serve or transfer to a freezer safe container and allow to harden further.

GF Guy had 2 bowls! I think that should count as a golden seal of approval! The name, however, needs work. Does anyone have a better name idea? I originally called it Strawberry Kefir-Cream, but nixed that for obvious reasons.

Daily dose of Dickens time! GF Guy and I have been working looong days, so Dickens has been going to his Great Grandparents' house. He loves the car rides!

He is such a little man!
Have a fabulous Monday, everyone!

Happiness Is...

3 Pears, all a different color:



What makes you happy today?

KEFIR! Gesundheit...

Working at a health food store I see all sorts of interesting products and foods. Kefir seems to be popping up all over the place lately. After reading up on the health benefits of Kefir I understand why. First, lets answer a few questions (answers courtesy of kefir.net)...

What is Kefir?
- Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins.

What are the health benefits of regular Kefir consumption?
- Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
The regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish a balanced inner ecosystem for optimum health and longevity.
Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced. Its excellent nutritional content offers healing and health-maintenance benefits to people in every type of condition.
Is Kefir just full of healthy bacteria, or does it contain other beneficial vitamins and nutrients?
- In addition to beneficial bacteria and yeast, kefir contains minerals and essential amino acids that help the body with healing and maintenance functions. The complete proteins in kefir are partially digested and therefore more easily utilized by the body. Tryptophan, one of the essential amino acids abundant in kefir, is well known for its relaxing effect on the nervous system. Because kefir also offers an abundance of calcium and magnesium, which are also important minerals for a healthy nervous system, kefir in the diet can have a particularly profound calming effect on the nerves.
Kefir's ample supply of phosphorus, the second most abundant mineral in our bodies, helps utilize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins for cell growth, maintenance and energy.
Kefir is rich in Vitamin B12, B1, and Vitamin K. It is an excellent source of biotin, a B Vitamin which aids the body's assimilation of other B Vitamins, such as folic acid, pantothenic acid, and B12. The numerous benefits of maintaining adequate B vitamin intake range from regulation of the kidneys, liver and nervous system to helping relieve skin disorders, boost energy and promote longevity.

Now, I know what you are all thinking. "But Katrina, Kefir is made out of dairy. You can't eat dairy...."
Well, the folks over at Turtle Mountain have done it again. They have created a line of Coconut Milk Kefir that is out of this world delicious and comes in three awesome flavors: Original, Vanilla, and Strawberry.

I can not wait to begin experimenting whith all the different flavors. Coconut Kefir Ice Cream, anyone?
I poured the Strawberry Kefir into popsicle molds.

We will have Kefir-sicles for dessert tonight! YAY!
Yesterday morning I added a few spoonfuls of the Strawberry flavor to my hot cereal, and this morning I switched to Vanilla.

The Kefir gave the cereal a creamy texture and a hint of sweetness that made my tummy very happy!
Thank you, Turtle Mountain, for making experiencing Kefir possible for us dairy free people!

Monster Fruit...

The produce guy called me over about a week ago. He received a new shipment he thought I would find particularly interesting. This is what the shipment contained...

Monstera Deliciosa - "Delicious Monster"

These "Monsters" are organically grown at Glaser Organic Farms in Miami, FL. A native fruit of Mexico and Guatemala, they are harvested at Glaser Farms from July to October. Our store receives one shipment of Monstera Deliciosa per year. ONLY ONCE A YEAR?! I had to try it!
Monstera Deliciosa's peel themselves. The exterior is covered in small, scale like sections that fall off as the fruit ripens. The interior flesh is white and on a hard core. It reminds me of a fruit version of corn!

Immediately upon arriving home, I placed my Monstera Deliciosa in an empty glass, stem side up and waited.

It took about 5 days before any "action" occurred, but it happened over night. I woke one morning to find this...

Naturally, I squealed for GF Guy to "come quick"! Being the amazing husband that he is, he set up my laptop so he could control it from his work computer. He took pictures of the Monster's peeling progression throughout the day. This is what happened while we were at work...


The little "scales" bounced all over the table and floor! It was a violent occurrence!

The next morning, only half of the fruit was "peeled", but I could wait no longer. The smell was like a little sniff of the tropics. I dug in! Using a knife I cut away the soft, white fruit from the inner core. It didn't really require much cutting. The fruit fell away from the core rather easily.

The taste: The fruit tasted like a cross between a Pineapple and a Banana. Very tropical, no?! I ate a few bites and put the rest in the refrigerator for later.

What is the craziest fruit/vegetable you have ever tried?

The Stuffin' Muffin Man....

Do you know the Muffin Man?
The Muffin Man.
The Muffin Man....

I have a serious love of muffins. They are like perfectly portioned little gifts. Muffins can be sweet or savory. They are easy to freeze. Muffins can be mini, regular, or just the tops. In short, muffins are... perfect!
The other day I made Celebration Stuffed Chicken Breasts and ended up with leftover stuffing. What's a girl to do with her extra stuffing, you ask?
I'll tell you!...

MAKE STUFFIN' MUFFINS!!!!!!!! The concept is as simple as the recipe. These muffins are perfect for a buffet style Thanksgiving meal. Stuffin' Muffins are also delicious cold, which makes them a delightfully healthy lunch box treat! Plus, they are fun!

*A WARNING- You are about to see pictures of my sad looking bakeware. I use bakeware that was my Great Grandmothers. I'm being serious! I really do! It has been scoured and scrubbed and is 100% Gluten Free. BUT, this bakeware definitely looks like it belonged to my Great Grandmother. Don't judge. Embrace the nostalgia! :-)

Stuffin' Muffins

Ingredients:

- leftover Stuffing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Spoon leftover Stuffing into the muffin tin and pack firmly. (This will help the muffin stay together. Don't be timid. Firmly press that little guy into place!)

Bake 25-30 minutes, until done.
Allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan. (Otherwise they will fall apart!)

GF Guy and I have enjoyed Stuffin' Muffins for the last 2 Thanksgivings. Thanksgiving foods remind us of the spirit of that holiday. We are so blessed right now that every day feels like Thanksgiving in our house. Why not promote that same feeling in your own household. Thanksgiving in August, everyone! With school starting up again, it feels like a time of new beginnings. Let's all make the most of it!
As this new school year begins, what are you most thankful for?

* In blog news:
Thank you for your feedback concerning my blog. I added a search widget on the right side just above the Post Archive. I am also in the process of adding Labels to each post. If you click on an "Entree" label, for example, all posts labeled "Entree" will appear for your perusal, etc..... Again, thanks for the feedback. It is VERY helpful! I'm sort of technologically challenged, to say the least! Give me a kitchen any day, but spare me the keyboard!
Have a fabulous day everyone! I am thankful for each and every one of you!

Honey Baked... Lentils?...

I had plans to made roasted vegetable salads for dinner tonight. The, 6:00 hit and I no longer felt like going to the grocery store. Does that happen to any of you. You make grand plans for dinner. Then the late afternoon slump hits and all those plans go flying out the window. Instead, I scoured the pantry and internet and came up with another Katrina Classic! You all know I LOVE being able to make up a new recipe using only the ingredients I have on hand. It's like an ultimate Iron Chef moment for me! I know, I know... I'm a dork. But you love me anyway! My inspiration for this recipe was a classic Honey Baked Ham recipe, one of my husbands' favorite things. After eating this, I think he may have forgotten all about ham! This recipe is super inexpensive, super delicious, and super easy. The leftovers are even better. I can't wait to eat them for lunch today! Enjoy!

Honey Baked Lentils


Ingredients:

- 1/2 pound dried Lentils
- 1 1/4 cups Water
- 1 1/4 cups Low Sodium, Organic Chicken Stock (can use all water to make this vegan, just add a bit of salt)
- 1 Bay Leaf

- 1/2 Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 stalk Celery, chopped
- 1 Carrot, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon Ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried Mustard
- 1/2 cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Agave Nectar (I didn't have any honey)
- 1/4 cup Orange Juice

Place Lentils, Water, Stock, and Bay Leaf in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.
Once Lentils are cooked remove the Bay Leaf.

In a bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Pour cooked Lentils into a glass loaf pan.
Pour remaining ingredients on top of the Lentils and stir to combine.

Cover pan with foil.

Bake, tightly covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

We enjoyed our Honey Baked Lentils over brown rice and steamed broccoli and spinach. I plan on eating the leftovers in a salad today! (SUPER EXCITED!)

In other news:
Dickens is being a little dickens lately!
He will not listen lately. Maybe he is getting too comfortable. Today, GF Guy and I both work 10 hour days. We are taking him to Tita's house so he won't be alone all day. We'll see how he does, and how she does! Tita loves to spoil dogs with Cuban Crackers and Pup-peroni. As you know, Dickens is on a completely Gluten Free diet. Crackers and Pup-peroni are not on his meal plan! Here's hoping they both survive! :-)

Also, this is how my morning started...
1) Make coffee.
2) Pour coffee.
3) Decide to make my coffee extra special.
4) Remember the unsweetened Chocolate Almond Milk in the frige.
5) Open frige, shake Almond Milk.
6) Discover Almond Milk lid was not shut properly...
7) CRUD.....
8) .................
9) Drink mocha coffee.

Questions:
Do you guys like my new approach to the blog? What would you like to see more of?

CHOCOLATE!!!!!!...

It's that time, ladies. It's that time when chocolate becomes a necessity, not a luxury. The time when your loved ones know to just let you be and not ask questions if they want to live.... I think you get the picture. Last night, all I wanted was chocolate and a glass of wine. I am happy to report I got both, and a new recipe was born!

Double Chocolate Banana Bread -or- The Monthly Mood Lifter


Ingredients:

- 1 cup Almond Meal, packed (leftover from making Raw Almond Milk)
- 1/2 cup Millet Flour
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1/2 cup Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour blend
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Xanthum Gum
- 1/4 teaspoons Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 2 teaspoons Baking Powder

- 2/3 cup Chocolate, Unsweetened Almond milk, mixed with 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice (allow to sit 10 minutes before using)
- 3 small ripe Bananas, mashed
- 1 Egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup Agave Nectar
- 3 tablespoons Canola Oil

- 1/2 cup Pecan pieces
- 1/4 cup dairy free Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
In a smaller bowl, whisk together wet ingredients.
Add wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until completely blended.
Stir in pecan pieces and chocolate chips.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered, for 1 hour.
After about one hour, tent bread with foil and continue to bake for 10-15 minutes. Bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

This bread is slightly sweet with little bursts of chocolaty goodness. It would be A-MAZING with a layer of creamy peanut butter. (that's for you, Jenny).
This story has a happy ending. I got my chocolate and GF Guy got to live.

...and they all lived happily ever after. THE END!

Stuffing and Stuff...

Tonight, I wanted to cook something special for GF Guy. He is starting a new job this week, so I wanted to create a dinner especially for him. GF Guy is not a picky eater. He will eat almost anything I put in front of him. However, there is one thing that definitely impresses him... stuffed stuff! I needed a gluten and dairy free recipe that involves stuffing something. Behold....

Celebration Stuffed Chicken with an Apple Cider Reduction


Ingredients-

- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Salt and Pepper
- 2 Organic, Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts

For Stuffing:


- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1/4 yellow Onion, diced
- 1/2 Apple, cored and diced
- 1 stalk Celery, diced
- Salt and Pepper
- a small palmful of Poultry Seasoning
- 1/4 cup fresh Italian Parsley, chopped
- 4 slices stale Gluten Free Bread, cubed
- Low Sodium Organic Chicken Stock, to moisten

Heat Oil in a saute pan over medium high heat.
Add Bay Leaves, Vegetables as you chop them, Salt and Pepper, and Poultry Seasoning. Continue to cook 5-6 minutes until vegetables are soft.
Add Parsley and cubed Bread.
Add just enough Chicken Stock to moisten bread.
Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In the thickest part of the chicken breasts, cut a pocket.
Stuff pocket with stuffing.

Season chicken breasts with Salt and Pepper on both sides.
Place Chicken Breasts in a pan with a dash of Extra Virgin Olive Oil over medium high heat. Cook 2-3 minutes on each side.
Place Chicken Breasts in a casserole dish.
Place casserole dish in the preheated oven and cook about 15 minutes, until cooked through.
Meanwhile, prepare the Apple Cider Reduction.

For Apple Cider Reduction-
- 1/4 cup White Wine
- 1/2 cup Apple Cider
- 1 small Shallot, diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Poultry Seasoning
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Agave Nectar

In a small saucepan, whisk together all ingredients and bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to a simmer and allow to reduce by about two-thirds.

GF Guy and I enjoyed our Chicken on a bed of Steamed Spinach and Butternut Squash Puree.
I am proud to report, GF Guy was very impressed and cleaned his plate! I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

An Ode To The Freezer...

I now have a new appreciation and love for my freezer. Yesterday, less than one hour before we needed to be at Tita's house for lunch, I received a text message asking if I was aware we were planning on celebrating Aunt Susie's birthday at lunch. WHAT?! Apparently GF Guy got the memo, but neglected to pass on said pertinent information. Instead of spinning in to a panic, I put on my thinking cap. A few weeks ago when I first began experimenting with recipes to use the leftover Almond Milk Almond Meal, I baked a dozen Mini Banana Almond Cakes sweetened slightly with banana puree. We did not end up eating them right away. So, I put them in a freezer safe Ziplock bag and popped them into the freezer where they were promptly forgotten. Luckily, I remembered their existence yesterday! I pulled the mini cakes out of the freezer, defrosted them in the microwave, and slathered them with a Gluten and Dairy Free Cream Cheese Icing. A sprinkling of Cinnamon created picture perfect Birthday Cupcakes in a Pinch!


I'm not gonna lie. I felt like the perfect little Martha Stewart-esque homemaker. "It's no problem. I just happen to have a batch of gluten and dairy free cupcakes right here!" Even better, they were a success. We returned home with a clean plate!
As a rule, I will freeze my extra gluten free baked goods for up to 2 months. (...if they last that long! We tend to eat them by about the one month mark!) Freezing baked goods retains their freshness. It is like having freshly baked goodies every time you defrost them!
Freezing baked goods also helps with portion control. How many of you have used the excuse, "Well someone needs to eat them or they are going to go bad" before diving in to a plate full of chocolate chip muffins? Instead of gorging yourself, eat one muffin and freeze the rest for later! Perfect!

Southern Comfort...

Last night, I met the perfect Southern gentleman. He had a voice as smooth as molasses and a drawl nearly as thick as he crooned out his song. His black suit was impeccably pressed, his matching shoes perfectly shined, and his shock of silver hair combed expertly into place. He was kind, attentive, and exuded Southern gentility. His name... TAYLOR HICKS!

GF guy happens to be friends with the stage manager of the national tour of Grease in which Taylor is starring. He hooked us up with tickets and a private backstage meet and greet with the man himself, Taylor Hicks. Cool, huh? In honor of our meeting, I prepared a Southern classic. Conveniently, my mother just gave me a ham bone. She figured if anyone would know what to do with one, it would be me. She was correct! I took one look at the ham bone, one look at the bag of dried black-eyed peas in my pantry, and an idea was born. It is prepared completely in the slow cooker. Low stress slow cookin', just the meal for a Southern Gentlemen like Taylor.

Slow Cookin', Southern Black-Eyed Pea Soup



Ingredients:

- 1 lb. dried Black-Eyed Peas
- 3 cups Water
- 4 cups Chicken Stock
- 1/2 cup Orange Juice
- 1 Ham Bone, with a lot of meat still on
- 1 medium Onion, diced
- 5 stalks Celery, chopped
- 1 Bay Leaf, crushed
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Parsley
- 1-2 tsp Chili Powder
- Salt & freshly ground Black Pepper, to taste

Rinse and pick over Black-Eyed Peas.
Place in a bowl with about an inch of water covering them and soak Black-Eyed Peas overnight.
The next day, place all ingredients in a Crock Pot.

Cook on low about 9 hours, until peas are tender.

Serve as a soup or over rice. Both ways are delicious! My favorite was to eat it is over Brown Rice with Steamed Broccoli and Diced Tomato.

I'm not sure what the next post will feature. It will be a surprise for all of us! Have a fabulous Friday!

I Scream...

I scream.
You scream.
We all scream for ice cream!...

Hello everyone! You all know I love everything about food; cooking, creating recipes, even grocery shopping! These are some of my favorite past times. I first began writing a food blog to show people it is possible to live a happy, healthy gluten free lifestyle, with an emphasis on living. When I was first diagnosed with Celiac Disease, I felt like my life was being ripped out from under me. Something as basic as eating was suddenly a challenge. I began avoiding food related gatherings. I ostracized myself from my family and friends. My breakthrough came when I stopped looking at all the foods I could not eat, and instead began focusing on what I could eat. I now consider Celiac’s to be one of the best things to happen to my culinary life. Without it, I never would have dreamed of eating Quinoa or Kale. I never would have known the joy of smelling fresh bread baking. I never would have learned just how strong and beautiful my body is. My life did not end two and half years ago when I was diagnosed with Celiac’s. It finally began!
Now, back to the food part...
If you are anything like me, summer evenings mean one thing…. ICE CREAM!
As a gluten free, dairy free girl with a penchant for clean eating, I naturally prefer to make my own ice cream. About one month ago, I received the best surprise of the summer. I returned from a trip to find a rather large box on my doorstep. This box contained none other than a Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt Ice Cream and Sorbet Maker!

I began experimenting, searching the Internet, and perusing cookbooks for dairy free ice cream recipes. Many of the recipes I found required stovetop cooking, then cooling, then processing in the ice cream maker, than freezing again…. You get the picture. I may love cooking, but this all seemed a bit excessive to me. I decided to take a more simplistic approach. At first, my creations were too icy or bland and tasteless. I tried various dairy substitutes before settling on Coconut Milk. My favorite brand is Native Forest Organic Unsweetened Coconut Milk.

I also tried various sweeteners ranging from Agave Nectar to simple Bananas. In the end, I found plain, old sugar best replicated the creamy consistency found in dairy ice creams. The “big breakthrough” occurred when I discovered Xanthum Gum. Xanthum Gum is the key to perfect, creamy, dairy free ice cream without having to heat the ingredients on the stove. I’m not sure how it does it, but it creates magic! My basic, “go-to” recipe was formed! It can be adapted to nearly any flavor under the sun! Just be sure to eat it quickly. Sun causes ice cream to melt!

Gidget’s Go-To Ice Cream Base

Ingredients:
- 2 cans Full, Fat Unsweetend Coconut Milk
- 3/4 cup Sugar
- 2 teaspoons Flavored Extract (vanilla, peppermint, coffee, coconut, etc…)
- 1/4 teaspoon Xanthum Gum

Combine these ingredients in a blender.
Place entire blender canister in the freezer for one hour and allow to set.
After one hour, briefly re-blend ice cream mixture (about 45 seconds).
Pour mixture into you ice cream maker and follow manufacturer instructions.
I process mine for about 25 minutes before scooping into a freezer safe container and allowing to harden for about 1 hour.

Various mix-ins can be added to this recipe.
- chocolate chips
- nuts
- crushed oreo style cookies (Kinnitoos for gluten/dairy free)
- frozen, softened fruit
- coconut flakes
You can enjoy your ice cream straight out of the machine if you enjoy soft serve. Personally, I prefer mine to have a firmer consistency, so I allow it to harden for at least one hour.

Here are a few of my creations so far:

Strawberry Coconut Ice Cream


Roasted Banana Ice Cream

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Cookies N' Dream Ice Cream


Mango Coconut Ice Cream


Who knows what I will create next? The sky is the limit!

Save The Liver....

Who can forget the immortal words of Dan Aykroyd as Julia Child on Saturday Night Live, "Save the liver!"? No, we are not discussing internal organs in this post. Interesting topic of discussion, but one for another day. What we are discussing is making good use of leftovers and scraps. Yesterday, we discussed how to make Raw Almond Milk. BUT, what do you do with the leftover almond meal? Throwing out the leftover meal always made me cringe. What would my great grandmother say?! She lived during the Great Depression. As such, she was the greatest pack rat to ever live in the great state of Pennsylvania! She kept everything from dental floss to newspapers. I much prefer a simple, streamline existence. However, I do, at times, feel her disapproving stare as a throw away scrap paper, or in this case leftover almond meal. After being wracked with guilt (or just a burst of creative inspiration) I finally decided to do something with the leftover meal. The resulting loaf of sweet bread was deliciously moist with just a hint of nuttiness. It was declared a success by GF Guy, my mother, and my coworkers! Now those are some good leftovers!

Waste Not, Want Nut Bread


Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup leftover Almond Meal
- 1/2 cup Millet Flour
- 1/2 cup Brown Rice Flour
- 1/2 cup Garbanzo and Fava Bean Flour
- 1 teaspoon Xantham Gum
- 1/2 cup Sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

- 3 tablespoons Canola Oil
- 3 tablespoons Pumpkin Puree
- 2/3 cup Almond Milk mixed with 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice (allow to sit for 10 minutes
before using)
- 1/3 cup Orange Juice
- 1 large Egg, beaten
- 1/4 cup Agave Nectar

- 1/2 cup frozen Cranberries, crushed
- 1/2 cup Walnut pieces

(Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before beginning. Trust me, it makes a BIG difference!)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a large bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, whisk together wet ingredients until well combined.
Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Place frozen cranberries in a plastic bag, or in my case an "envelope" of saran wrap. Grab a rolling pin and go all Mr. Miyagi an those cranberries!
aka- Crush them with the rolling pin.

Add crushed cranberries and walnuts to the batter and fold in.
Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for about one hour uncovered. At this point, the outside of my loaf was nicely browned, but the inside still needed more cooking time. I simply tented the loaf with a piece of aluminum foil and allowed it to cook for 10 more minutes.
Total cooking time- One Hour and 10 Minutes
Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire cooling rack.
Allow to cool completely before slicing (This is the hardest part of the recipe!)

I do not normally cook with bean flours. Normally bean flours leave a metallic aftertaste. However, this recipe and the Socca It To Me Pizza recipe do not seem to suffer from the Bean Flour Curse. It has been a pleasant surprise. Many of you have expressed concerns about using bean flour. I encourage you to give it another try. If it's "bean" awhile you may be surprised!

Speaking of beans, tune in next time for a slow cookin' Southern classic in honor of a certain famous Southern gentleman I will be meeting tonight. Any guesses who he may be?

And now, per request, a daily dose of Dickens:

Raw Almond Milk... A Tutorial...

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen! As many of you may have noticed, I have a distinct love affair with cereal. There are few things as comforting as curling up in a big fluffy chair with a bowl of your favorite cereal. It brings to mind fond childhood memories of Saturday morning cartoons and late night snacks with my mom. Ever since I can remember, my mom has eaten a bowl of cereal at night before bed. As a child, I began mimicking her habit. It was sort of our "thing", our nightly bowl of cereal. Now that I am older and gluten and dairy free. I prefer my gluten free cereal with Almond Milk. I make my own and have become something of an "Almond Milk Snob". I began making my own Almond Milk after reading the ingredient list on the boxes of pre-made Almond Milks. I couldn't help but be disturbed by the number of ingredients. Why is there soy in my Almond Milk?! I do on occasion use store bought Almond Milk. It works well in baked goods, etc... because it is much thicker than homemade Raw Almond Milk. However, if I am going to be "tasting" the Almond Milk (ie- cereal, cookies and milk,...) I much prefer my own. My Raw Almond Milk contains 2 ingredients. That's it! Here is a tutorial on how to make your own Raw Almond Milk.

Raw Almond Milk

Ingredients:

- 3 cups Water
- 3/4 cup Raw Almonds

Soak raw almonds overnight in water.

Pour soaked almonds and soaking water into a blender.

In a blender, process mixture until almonds are a finely ground.

Pour almond milk mixture through a mesh sieve or cheesecloth.

Press with a rubber spatula or squeeze cheesecloth to remove as much moisture as possible.

At this point, you may add Agave Nectar or Vanilla Extract if desired. I prefer to leave mine plain. The resulting milk is not as thick as commercial Almond Milk, but dare I say much more natural...


Save the leftover Almond Meal! My next post will feature a splendid use for your leftover Almond Grounds.