Cranberry Walnut Chocolate Chip Cookiesprint friendly recipe
2 ½ cups blanched almond flour
½ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup grapeseed oil
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
½ cup dried, fruit juice sweetened cranberries
1 cup walnuts, toasted
½ cup dark chocolate 73%

In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt and baking soda
In a smaller bowl, combine oil, agave and vanilla
Stir wet ingredients into dry
Mix in cranberries, walnuts and chocolate chips
Form dough into ½ inch balls and press onto a parchment lined baking sheet
Bake at 350° for 7-10 minutes
Cool and serve


elenas pantry

cake...and garlic day!

Today I tried adding garlic back into my diet. So far so good :)

From spunky coconut! :)

Pumpkin Spice Cake:

Add to food processor:
2 cups cooked white beans, room temperature, so they don't cook the eggs (I make mine myself by soaking dry white beans, like Great Northern, overnight. In the morning I rinse them well, and cook them.)
5 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla creme liquid stevia (do not measure over the batter, just in case it spills out)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup honey
1.5 tbsp pumpkin pie spice


Puree well.


Add:
1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified
1/3 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/4 tsp sea salt
1.5 tsp baking soda
1.5 tsp baking powder


Puree well.


Pour into greased and floured bundt pan.


Bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes. (I like to check to see if it's done by inserting a knife into the middle. If it's comes out mostly clean, it's done.)

Cabbage and Ground Turkey Stew

1/2 head organic cabbage
1 package free range ground turkey
rosemary, cilantro (fresh)
sea salt
kale

Viola!

Carob Skillet Drops

So I was craving cookies...and pancakes and chocolateyness. Lo and behold the birth of the carob skillet drop.

A few tablespoons namaste pancake and waffle mix
A tablespoon carob powder
Enough water to make dough
2-3 drops vanilla cream stevia
Nonstick cooking spray

Combine all ingredients and coat skillet with non stick cooking spray. Drop batter by spoonful onto skillet.

Serve warm with ice cream or fruit compote or sauce! YUM.

Chocolate (or Carob) Chip Cookies

Yields 4 Dozen.

1 3/4 cups quinoa flakes or GF oats
1 3/4 cups all purpose GF flour blend (I used coconut, brown rice, and tapioca)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup shortening/butter/or oil of choice (I used coconut)
1 cup brown sugar or sucanant (I used 1/2 cup agave)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (I used a little more agave)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 package GF chocolate chips or carob chips (approx 2 cups..or more :)
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 375. Grind Quinoa flakes or oatmeal in food processor. Add flour mix, baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum and blend for 5 sec. Beat shortening with sugars until well blended. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Gradually add dry ingredients. Then Mix in chocolate and walnuts. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto aluminum or parchment paper line cookie sheets. Bake about 12 minutes until edges are browned.

Blueberry Cake With Creamy Sugar Free Vanilla Frosting

1 package blueberries rinsed
1 1/2 cups nondairy milk (I used unsweetened almond)
1/2 cup oil of choice, butter, or shortening
2 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
1/4 cup agave (I do half of the agave and one dropper stevia)
4 tablespoons baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 and 1/2 cups gluten free flour mix (I used 1 brown rice, 1 coconut, and 1/2 tapioca)
1 tbls cinnamon, if desired

Combine wet ingredients. Combine dry. Mix wet to dry. Fold in blueberries. Pour into cup cake holders, into large rectangle cake pan, or two 9in round cake pans.
Bake at 350 until edges are golden brown (about 30 mins for large rectangle- time may be shorter depending on which way you choose to bake it so I would monitor it as it bakes.)


Frosting
2 cups palm shortening (or margerine/butter)
1 cup arrowroot starch
1 tbls vanilla
1/4 cup agave nectar (or honey) or a mix of agave and vanilla stevia

With an electric mixer beat all ingredients together until fluffy. Store in an air tight container or frost cake when cooled. YUM!!!

10 Things To Be Thankful For..err 11

I feel like every now in then it's good to reflect on the good things going on in life. Especially when the sky seems terribly grey.

First, a recap and bit of venting.
I've been going through quite a bit lately- balancing trying to gain weight, see a psychotherapist, and deal with/try to get a diagnosis for my HIGHLY* probable Celiac Disease (highly meaning I know that I have it but my blood test said I was 5 out of 8 or as the doctors say "equivocal"). Also* I was not eating gluten (for the exception of a brownie here and there and the contamination of my college cafeteria) for months prior to the test and was still having horrible problems (thus proving that I am indeed sensitive to gluten in some way shape or form). As I have been on the gluten free diet now for about 3 months and CAN DEFINATELY tell that I get sick when ingesting gluten I refuse to go back to gluten and get retested because I am feeling almost 100 percent better being 100% gluten free- with the exception of getting glutened out to eat on fathers day. So I am slightly stressed.

Now..things to be thankful for.

1. I'm alive. To put it in perspective, things could be much worse for me. I am overall getting more healthful and healing every day.
2. I have a wonderful family, boyfriend, and friends. I love you all. You all have been so supportive and helpful. Though I know at times it's very hard for you ton understand how I feel and understand exactly what I'm going through.
3. I have a job that I love that helps others. Though my current stressors and ailments have negatively effected my ability to work lately, I have been getting better everyday and I am so thankful for my job with wonderful people that I work with and the ability to help others like myself.
4. Carob. Thank you Lord, for putting the lovely Carob pod on this earth. It's lovely chocolate-like flavor has made not be able to eat chocolate much more enjoyable.
5. The beauty of God's green earth. The weather is balmy, the plants are blooming and green- alive. What more can we ask for?
6. The roof over my head and the food on the table. In this recession we are so fortunate. There are so many people who don't have healthcare, don't have homes, don't have food.
7. Music. My other solace. Thank you for bringing me peace.
8. Yoga. My OTHER solace. Thank you for teaching me to quiet my mind, focus, and breathe.
9. Modern medicine/technology. Without the advancements of modern medicine we may have never known what Celiac disease was!
10. The Camera. Thank you for fueling my passion and giving me the ability to capture life's beauty.
11. Life. Thank you for the gift of life. The ability to experience happy and sad moments. The human ability for compassion, rationale, and forgiveness. and most importantly-for love.


strawberry pie recipe coming soon!