... And Other Adventures

Everyday life

Here are the highlights from this past week...


Cooking with my new bowl. The pop of color makes me so happy on these gloomy days.

She is getting better and better each day! She will be speed racing the neighborhood by summer.

apple skin chips

My new spice storage solution. I have had this old soda bottle for years now and can't believe that I just now thought of this idea.

One morning we were all woken up at 5:30 in the morning by a sleet thunderstorm. Not very often that we get to see white on the ground in these parts.

Almond Flour donuts - YUM - recipe will be posted soon.

Sometimes I feel that this little girl toy is always watching me.

A little Valentine's Day bling for the front door.

Cinnamon Almond Flour Brownies

This past Thursday night, I was able to sneak away to the kitchen for quiet time to myself. Amongst the normal nightly routines of bath time, laundry folding, paying bills, answering work emails, etc, etc - this was quite the luxury for me. There just never seem to be enough hours in the day. And these little "me" times are few and far between.

So while I pitter-pattered in the kitchen, I let my mind wander. And where did it wander? Well, to chocolate of course! I have been craving brownies for about a month now. But with this grain free and dairy free diet, a good brownie just has always seemed unattainable. But that Thursday night, for whatever reason, I was extra determined to make it happen.

And I did make it happen.

Grain free and dairy free and delicious... this is like a baking unicorn in my world of dietary constraints. I can not express to you the happiness that these little brown squares have brought to my life. I finally have a good brownie dessert that is good enough even for those that are not forced to eat grain-free. These brownies will now become a go-to dessert for special occasions or just the random Thursday that needs a little extra something to liven it up.

Cinnamon Almond Flour Brownies

3/4 cup almond flour

1/4 heaping tsp kosher salt

2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice

3/4 c sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 c butter

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix together the almond flour, salt, cocoa powder, cinnamon, allspice, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, melt the chocolate chips with the butter. You can do this in microwave or on the stove top. It does not make a difference.

While the chocolate is melting, in a different bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Once the chocolate is melted, slowly pour the chocolate into the egg/sugar mixture while whisking. NOTE: Don't pour too fast or you risk cooking the eggs on contact.

Once the chocolate and wet ingredients are all mixed together, they are ready to be added to the dry ingredients. Mix well so that everything is incorporated and there are no lumps in the batter.

Pour the batter into an 8x8 greased pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let the brownies cool before cutting.

NOTE: The first night that the brownies came out of the oven, they had a cake-like consistency. Good, but cake-like is not my favorite. However, one night in the fridge and they transformed themselves into the fudge-like brownie that I truly crave. In fact, I may or may not have eaten 4 for breakfast that morning. Please don't judge me.

Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Soup

This holiday season was the first time that I had to navigate through all of the delicious, traditional holiday food on this grain free and dairy free diet. It was intimidating as I knew the difficulty in trying to eat at other people's houses, craving sweet treats that my stomach can no longer handle, and working to find new dishes that my family and I could eat that would be yummy and invoke the holiday spirit.

I'll admit, this first year was definitely challenging. I could have pushed someone off a sleigh just to nibble on a leg of a gingerbread man. But I was strong. No sleigh riders or gingerbread men were harmed.

But now that I am coming up on the end of this challenge, I am also feeling very proud of myself. I came up with some fantastic recipes that are sure to become new holiday traditions. I hope to share a few of those recipes over the next few weeks. And I hope you like them as much as I did.

This first one will for sure become a fall/winter staple. Inspired by a CSA butternut squash sitting on my counter and the contents of my freezer, this dish is hearty and delicious and completely grain and dairy free. It is perfect as a side or featured as the main dish.

Italian Sausage & Butternut Squash Soup

1 large butternut squash

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

pepper

1 large onion (chopped)

1/2 lb Italian sausage (casings removed)

6-8 garlic cloves

1 tbsp fresh chopped sage

6 cups of broth (turkey or chicken)

1tsp apple cider vinegar

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel the butternut squash, remove the seeds, and chop into 1inch cubes. Lightly toss the cubes with 1tbsp of olive oil and the garlic cloves. Season with salt and pepper and toss on to baking sheet. Bake until you are able to easily pierce the squash with a fork - approximately 45 minutes. I usually go in and toss the squash about half way through to keep it from sticking.

Once the squash is close to being done, in a very large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the remaining olive oil. Once the pan is hot, add the sausage. Cook until the sausage is cooked all the way through and is golden brown. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent and begin to carmelize. Add in the sage and any other herbs that sounds good and stir for about 1 minute. Add the cooked squash and garlic as well as the broth. For the broth, I prefer to use my homemade turkey broth for a little bit of extra flavor, but chicken stock will work just as well. Stir well and increase the heat to bring it all to a boil.

Let it boil for about 30 seconds to a minute and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Ideally, you want it to simmer for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. But I will admit that on Christmas Eve with a house of hungry people, I only let it simmer for about 10 minutes and it still tasted delicious.

Once it is done simmering, pull out your trusty immersion blender (best kitchen appliance ever) and put on your apron (you will thank me for that reminder), puree the soup. Then add in the apple cider vinegar and stir to combine.

Taste and adjust any seasonings as desired.

Don't be afraid to make a big batch of this soup as it also freezes really well. I like to freeze it in individual portions and then I take it to work for lunch.

Cheers to your health!

I would love to say that the past few weeks have been amazingly pleasant filled with holiday loveliness, productivity, and gaiety. But due to the virus from hell that has mysteriously taken over every inch of this household and all of its inhabitants, that is just not the case. We have all spent a considerable amount of time in our pjs, snuggled up in bed, with tissues mounding up all around us threatening to cave in at the next coughing episode.

But alas, our poor little bodies are beginning to mend and I feel that we are on the upswing. I can see the end in sight where we will emerge fully rejuvenated and restored. Here's hoping!

Until then, here are a few snapshots from the last few weeks.

Until next time, I wish you happiness and health as we approach the end of 2012. Cheers!

Broken Hearted

Hello friends. How are you holding up today?

I had the day off work yesterday and was festively wrapping up Christmas shopping when my husband called me to tell me the news about the school shooting. I was standing in the middle of Barnes and Noble with tears running down my face. My heart was instantly broken.

My instinct was to immediately drive to Little B's school, wake her up from her nap and take her home to stay by my side at all times until she reaches the age of 25. I refrained from that plan until I could properly pull myself together. But it was very strong primal urge.

When I did finally pick her up from school, she came running up to me so excited about the the birthday party they had for baby Jesus and the butterfly stamp that she used on her artwork. I relished in her blissful unawareness. As we walked out hand in hand, my girl gave me just what I needed to make me smile.

Me: "Mommy and daddy need extra hugs and kisses today because we had a really, really hard day today."

Little B: (nodded her head understandingly) "Because you didn't take a good nap?"

Me: "Yes. Because I did not take a good nap." (with a big smile on my face)

Little B: "Okay. You will have a hard day when you don't take nap. Don't worry mommy. I take care of you."

In these dark times when it is very easy to feel that goodness has left the world, I do my best to focus on this quote from Anne Frank.

"In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart."

Whenever the world throws a low-blow like this and makes me doubt that sentiment, I think of all the people that step up to help these poor families whether that is with their time, their prayers, their love, or their acts of heroism. These good, regular, honest people way out number the bad, damaged souls that stand alone to destroy. In the midst of all this heartbreak, there are acts of kindness happening everywhere right this minute. These acts of kindness are really quite beautiful if you think about it.

I think like most of the parents out there, I am spending this weekend soaking up every ounce of my child, focusing of every laugh, every freckle, every mischievous grin, and appreciating every little thing about her.

Sending all my prayers to the broken hearted. I grieve with you. Please know that your children will never, ever be forgotten.

From my kitchen: Almond Flour Apple Tarte

This weekend has been a rough one.

We received some very bad news that we lost someone in our close circle of friends. Then we got another bad phone call that a family member had been injured in a hunting accident. It was the kind of news that makes you lose your breath.

For the rest of the weekend, I have felt a bit lost, not quite sure to do with myself. I hug Little B a little longer than usual. Memorize the freckle pattern on David's arm so that I will never forget it. Commit my friend's laugh to memory. My heart is hurting.

So I focus on the basics while my mind whirls around trying to make sense of things. Cook dinner. Fold laundry. Take care of my girl. I was looking for something to anchor myself to.

When I found myself with a few minutes to myself, I found myself being to pulled into the kitchen in order to find my comfort. I pulled out the big bowl, made an almond crust, peeled some apples and began to feel that old sense of calm come back over me.

And while my heart is still incredibly heavy, sometimes it only takes the smell of cinnamon and an apple tarte to help you find your balance and sense of place in this world.

This is a humble little tarte. Not the most elegant and it crumbles a bit when you eat it. But the taste... Oh, the taste is comforting and warm and familiar. Just what is needed to feed this tired soul.

For everyone out there reading this, love on your loved ones a little more today for no other reason that you can.

Almond Flour Apple Tarte

The crust:

1-1/2 c almond flour

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 c coconut oil

1tbsp water

Preheat the oven to 350F and position rack in the middle. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Grease a 13x5 rectangular tart pan and form the crust with the dough. Bake at 350F for 10 minutes.

Topping:

1-2 medium apples

1 tbsp sugar

1sp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

zest of half a lemon

maple syrup

In a small bowl, rub together the sugar and lemon zest. Peel, core, and thinly slice the apples. Arrange the apple slices over the baked crust. Drizzle maple syrup lightly over the apples.

Put the tarte back into the over at 350F and bake for another 15-20 minutes until the crust is a lovely golden brown.