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| Friday, December 18, 2009 |
| Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread |
 Well, I made 9 loaves of cinnamon bread last night for my boys' teachers. This is my favorite gift to give during the holidays. In fact, the illustrator went to a meeting last week and was asked where the cinnamon bread was since it is the holidays. I honestly did not have any sugar at the time, but I will definitely be making this for his meeting next week! This is the one recipe that was a "must make" gluten free. Cinnamon bread is a staple in this house and it never sticks around for long. I know, it is a weird looking bread since it sinks in the center, but that is the best part. I used to hate making it for other people because of the way it looks. It is not your usual pretty dome shaped bread. The recipe calls for baking soda, so it should have an acid based liquid to help it rise. I have made it both with and without the acid based liquid (buttermilk or yogurt) and the preference is without the acid. If forms this super moist gooey center, which is the best part!
 The photo above is not gluten free. I wanted to give you a frame of reference on how the appearance changed with the gluten free flours. Really not that much, so it passed that test!
 This loaf is gluten free. The gluten free bread actually got higher marks than the gluten loaf! The addition of my favorite gluten free flour, buckwheat, helped give this bread a better consistency! Is slices extremely well and has the perfect cinnamon bread chewy texture! So, if you are looking for a nice festive loaf of bread to serve your holiday guests or to give as a gift, this is a beautiful dairy free, gluten free and egg free gift!
 Gluten Free Cinnamon Bread
1/4 cup oil
1 1/3 cup sugar (white or turbinado)
1 flax egg (1 TBSP flax meal + 3 TBSP hot water allowed to sit while you mix everything else)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder (1/2)
1 /2 cup buckwheat flour
1 cup white rice
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup dairy free milk alternative (soy, almond or hemp - soy nog is great too)
additional cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling on top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9x5 loaf pan with parchement paper and spray with cooking spray.
Combine oil, sugar, flax egg, vanilla and dairy free milk in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine baking powder, baking soda, flour, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix just until combined. Pour into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with a little cinnamon and sugar. Cook for 50 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a little bit of gooeyness on it. You can remove it from the pan after it has cooled for about 10 minutes.Labels: gluten free, holidays, quick bread |
posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 9:34 AM  |
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| Tuesday, December 15, 2009 |
| Getting Into the Christmas Spirit |
 I am not sure why, but I have had a hard time lately getting into the Christmas spirit. I guess for some people, baking will do it, but since I bake all of the time...that really does not help. I have been listening to Christmas music, but that did not seem to help either. So, yesterday, I decided to go a different route. I put on a CD of George Winston's December in the car while making my daily pick up rounds and then made some Muddy Buddies. All of this definitely helped me move more into the holiday spirit! If you have never heard this CD, I highly recommend it. It is very relaxing and feels like all of the things I love about winter. The Muddy Buddies, well they just remind me of great holiday party snacks. These little morsels are full of peanut butter, dairy free chocolate, gluten free Chex and powdered sugar. Not rocket science, but not everything has to be! Just simple goodness we can all enjoy! I hope you are having a great holiday season!
Muddy Buddies
9 cups rice or corn Chex
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips (I use Enjoy Life)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup dairy free butter (I use Earth Balance soy free)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave the chocolate, peanut butter and butter until melted. While this is melting, measure out the cereal in a large bowl. When chocolate is melted, pour the mixture over the cereal and stir to coat everything well. Then in a large tupperware or zip top bag, pour the powdered sugar in and then the cereal mixture in. Shake it up to coat the cereal. Allow to cool and then refrigerate. (or eat warm because you can't wait!)
I have never tried it, but I bet it would be good with other nut butters or sunflower seed butter to make it peanut free.Labels: gluten free, holidays |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 9:39 AM |
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| Friday, December 11, 2009 |
| Cinnamon Rolls On The Fly! |
 Since it is Friday and we have a busy weekend ahead of us, I decided to start this morning off with a bang! I threw these little babies together in about 5 minutes! We had pizza night the other night and I decided to use half of the dough for pizza and save the other half for some quick cinnamon rolls. This makes it way too easy. Pizza dough can stay in the fridge for a couple of days and the flavor only gets better.
 I promptly woke up, worked out and threw these in the oven. I had some happy campers around here this morning! I also felt really accomplished for really doing nothing. Seriously, anybody could do this and feel like a champion. I highly recommend this little cheat when you have guests arriving this holiday season!
Pizza Dough Cinnamon Rolls
(a method, not really a recipe)
makes 6
pizza dough (enough for a 12 to 16 inch pizza)
about 1/4 cup dairy free butter (softened)
1/2 to 3/4 cup brown sugar
cinnamon
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
water
Roll out pizza dough to make a rectangle. Smear the butter over the dough and then sprinkle evenly with brown sugar and cinnamon making sure to leave about an inch of dough on one of the long sides. Starting the the long side that has sugar on it, roll the dough up. Slice the dough to make your rolls and place them cut side up in a 8 x 8 dish sprayed with cooking spray. Place in a cold oven and then turn the oven on 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven. Next mix a tablespoon of water at a time into the powdered sugar to make a glaze. Pour the glaze over the rolls while they are still warm.
*Putting these in a cold oven gives them a little proofing time while the oven preheats. It cuts down on time and they puff up very nicely!Labels: breads, breakfast, holidays |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 3:55 PM |
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| Thursday, December 10, 2009 |
| Sunflower Seed Butter |
 I have really been getting into making my own nut/seed butters lately. Since I can't have soy now (and I am a vegetarian that can't have dairy), coming up with different foods to get more protein into my diet has been a little tricky. I have really been doing some research on the specific nutrients different foods have. The illustrator is a huge fan of sunflower seeds. They are the perfect road food for him. So when we were at Trader Joe's one day and they had a really good price on raw sunflower seeds, we grabbed a bag to play around with. After loving the way the pecan butter turned out, I thought it would be fun to try out some sunflower seed butter. I have seen jars of this at the store, but it's really way out of my budget. So, I set out to make my own! I have said this before, but I eat with a purpose. I want to know what this is going to do for me before I eat it! These little babies are loaded with magnesium (bones and energy), vitamin E (cardiovascular system) and vitamin B1. If you want to check out more about this little powerhouse...check out this link.
Now, for some sunflower seed butter...
 Sunflower Seed Butter
makes 3/4 cup
1 cup raw shelled sunflower seeds
2 TBSP agave nectar
4 TBSP almond milk
In a nonstick frying pan, toast the sunflower seeds. Do not leave them - you don't want them to burn you just want to toast them up a little. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes.
Next, place the rest of the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Store in the refrigerator.
75 calories/TBSP
 I used the rest to make some sunflower seed butter granola!Labels: dips |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 9:44 AM |
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| Wednesday, December 9, 2009 |
| Fudgy Cookies and Sugar Free Soda |
 It's that time of year...cookie time.
 I have been snooping around, looking for some good gluten/dairy free recipes. I came across this recipe on the King Arthur website for flourless fudge cookies. I liked it for a few of reasons...gluten free, dairy free and fat free (well, except for the chocolate chips I added)! These are very fudgy!
 I am always making batch after batch of fudge during the holiday season. Fudge takes a little more time, so the fact that these come together so quickly and give my family the taste of fudge makes them even better in my book! I am a huge fan of finding a recipe for something that tastes naughty without being naughty! I added dairy free chocolate chips to make them a little more special, but they don't need them. They are very rich, so a little goes a long way! Go here for step by step directions.
 Now for some sugar free all natural soda. I am always looking for a healthy alternative for everything. I am the kind of girl that eats or drinks everything for a reason. I do like the occasional sugar free soda when I am eating things with a lot of flavor (or hot sauce). So, the nice folks at Zevia sent me a sampling of all 6 flavors. They come in orange, black cherry, natural twist, ginger ale, cola and root beer. I have to say, my youngest son thought this was an awesome experiment. Seriously, a soda that I say "ok" to...he was on it. So, now for my thoughts...these remind me a lot of the flavored soda water my mom used to drink. They do taste like a healthy soda, which I really enjoy (I like healthy stuff). I liked that they are not super sweet. I mostly drink water, so the slightly sweet flavor of Zevia is perfect for me when I am looking for something with a little extra flavor without all of the calories and chemicals.Labels: cookies, product reviews |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 9:48 AM |
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| Friday, December 4, 2009 |
| Pumpkin Spice Latte |
 Still on the pumpkin kick! Well, it has been years since I have enjoyed the sweet flavor of the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. I remember, fondly, when it first came out. It was like heaven in a mug for me. The pumpkin, the spices, the coffee...nothing could be better. As things have changed for me throughout the years, I was deeply saddened to not be able to partake in this holiday treasure. I have resigned to sniffing the illustrators warm cup of holiday cheer. I know you start eating/drinking with your eyes, but the nose is definitely next in line! Every time he orders this, I take a huge sniff of it. He has to ask me quite a few times to return the cup to him!
 Well, yesterday was a little different for me. The illustrator and I decided to give it a go at home. We decided to make some strong French press coffee instead of making espresso. Mostly for ease, but next time I think we will go the espresso route. Technically, not a latte, but pretty darn close!
 I made a mixture of almond milk, pumpkin pie spice and pumpkin puree. I then microwaved it into it was nice and hot. I would like to see what steaming it with the espresso machine would do. This gives me a great excuse to have another one...soon!
 After pouring the almond milk mixture into each mug, we then added the coffee.
 We then enjoyed our pumpkin spice latte (coffee) together, the first one in years!
Pumpkin Spice Latte
serves 2
1 1/2 cups almond milk
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2 TBSP pumpkin puree
4 scoops strong dark roast coffee
2 1/2 cups boiling water
Bring water to a boil. Add coffee grounds to French press and then add the boiling water. Let sit while making the pumpkin mixture.
Combine the almond milk, pumpkin pie spices and pumpkin puree in a microwave safe measuring cup. Microwave 2 minutes. Stir and microwave for another minute until mixture is hot and well blended.
Press coffee. Pour half the pumpkin mixture into each mug and then pour the coffee on top.
I added 4 drops of Nu Naturals Stevia Extract into mine. (a review coming soon)Labels: breakfast, holidays, vegetables |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 9:32 AM |
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| Thursday, December 3, 2009 |
| Crustless Sweet Potato Pie |
 Since we all know how much I love pumpkin...the crustless pumpkin pie was a definite on the Thanksgiving table this year but, the illustrator had another idea. He is a fan of the sweet potato pie and had not had one for quite a while. I went with my standby crustless pumpkin pie recipe and made a couple of changes to make it gluten free. This pie was such a winner that I had to make another one a couple of days after Thanksgiving! So, I would have to say that this version is a new addition to the Thanksgiving list of favorites! (Just so you know, I made a pumpkin and 2 sweet potato pies this year...I am still shocked at how much these were loved!)
 Crustless Sweet Potato Pie
serves 8
1 1/2 cups plain almond milk
1/2 cup liquid egg substitute
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups mashed baked sweet potatoes (I baked my own)
2 TBSP sweet rice flour
2 TBSP brown rice flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9-inch deep dish pie pan with cooking spray. (I do not have this, so I used a 10 inch tart pan) A deep dish is recommended because this pie will rise a lot during cooking but will fall back down as it cools.
Put everything in a blender on high for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the sides a couple of times to make sure everything is thoroughly blended. Pour into a pie pan and bake for about 60 minutes (mine was done at 45 minutes) . The top and edges should be brown, but the edges should not be over-done. (Since this is a custardy pie, using the standard toothpick or knife test does not work; it will remain somewhat moist in the center, but it shouldn't be uncooked.)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the counter. For best results, refrigerate until chilled before eating.
160 calories per slice
 I wanted to show you the backside of this pie so you can see how the edge of the pie bakes up. Most people question how the heck do you make a crustless pumpkin/sweet potato pie. While the pie does not have a traditional crust, the edge forms a very sturdy base for this creamy pie.
Make sure you check out One Frugal Foodie for The 30 Minute Vegan give away!Labels: gluten free, pie |
| posted by Sarena Shasteen @ 4:52 PM |
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Name:
Sarena Shasteen
Home: Atlanta, GA, United States
About Me: Lactose Challenged
See my complete profile
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