GFCF Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

GFCF Pumpkin Muffins

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups raisins
4 ¾ cups GF all-purpose flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill Mix)
3 cups raw sugar (I’m sure you could use regular)
1 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 ½ teaspoons nutmeg
1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 ½ teaspoons ground cloves
6 eggs
2 cups pumpkin puree
1 cup applesauce
½ cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

Directions:
Soak Raisins in hot water for 10 minutes to plump, then drain.
In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
In a separate bowl, beat eggs slightly, then add pumpkin and applesauce.
Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients.
Add raisins and nuts
Spoon batter into muffin tins lined with paper liners or well greased.
Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

Makes 3 dozen

Veggie Tray for Thanksgiving

Doesn't this look yummy for Thanksgiving?

I got it in a newsletter from Miss Roben's. Sorry, I didn't get proper credit. I had saved this to my hard drive to make later and didn't keep the whole newsletter. By the time I posted it here I remembered that I got it from Miss Roben's but not that they had gotten it elsewhere. My apologies - this idea actually comes from Eating With Food Allergies. You can see their original post by clicking HERE.


Turkey Veggie Tray

Ingredients
Romaine or leaf lettuce
1 cucumber, sliced
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
2 bags baby carrots
2 black beansToothpicks
1/3 celery stalk

Directions

1) Slice the bell peppers crosswise & then cut each circle in half. Cut one 1/2" piece off of one of the red pepper slices & set aside (this will be used for the face). Set aside the bottom part of the peppers for the turkey's body.

2) For the feathers: Cover a platter (a round one works well) with the leaves of lettuce. To make the turkey's feathers, start with forming a circle with the cucumber slices towards the bottom of the platter. Above the cucumbers, form a semi-circle with the red peppers, then the yellow peppers, then the green peppers. Place the baby carrots vertically above the last row of peppers.

3) To make the turkey's body & face: Break two toothpicks in half. Put two of the toothpicks where the eyes will go. Push the black beans onto the toothpick making sure that the toothpick doesn't go all the way through. Cut a triangle out of the leftover bottom from the yellow pepper. Attach with a toothpick below the eyes. Attach the reserved red pepper piece to the left of the yellow pepper "beak".

4) For the legs: Cut the piece of celery in half lengthwise. On each piece, carefully slice lengthwise from the end of the celery piece to almost the center. Do this twice on each piece. Place the celery in ice water & place in the refrigerator until the ends curl. When curled, nestle the un-curled end under the cucumbers.

If anyone attempts this, please take a pic and send it to me - I'll post all of the pics. I think this would be awesome if I were having guests for Thanksgiving. I may do it for just us - I'm not sure yet.

Grocery Shopping Highs and Lows

Isn't it funny the things that excite us and irritate us when we are grocery shopping? I find that is even more so now that we are GFCF than ever before.

Needless to say, I went grocery shopping today.

I was irritated last week when I saw the price of the Silk Soy Yogurt had almost doubled at the store where it is usually the lowest price - 69 cents to $1.16. So today I was at a different grocery store and I see the price has gone up there as well - from 99 cents to $1.15. Ugh. I guess all of those conterfeit coupons for Silk Soy Milk that keep circulating on ebay are costing the company money that they have to pass onto us. So unfair.

But then I went to Super Target and found that they are now carrying Ian's allergen free fish sticks - yes, SCORE! Now I don't have to travel way across the cities for them and stock up on them at $4.99 each. Super Target had them for $4.29 and I had dollar off coupons - $3.29 is still so much more than regular fish sticks cost but I was happy.

GFCF Meals delivered to your door!

Look at this site - the owner of it just found my blog and e-mailed me the link.

What could be easier? Click on the link and check out the pics - the food looks wonderful!

http://www.gfmeals.com/?Click=1310

When you get your order, be sure and come back and leave a comment so others know how much you like it. We need some reviews of a wonderful service like this.

A New Dairy Free Yogurt

For those of you who are looking for a soy free non dairy yogurt - here is another alternative - cultured coconut milk by So Delicious. At $1.99 a cup - it is pricey but if you can't find the rice yogurt and don't want to do soy..............

More school lunches

Thermos contains baked beans with cut up hotdogs. We also have rice chips, grapes, carrot sticks and a juice box.


Thermos contains homemade mini corn dogs. We also have ketchup, rice chips, edamame, apple slices and a juice box.

I don't intend to be sending juice every day - but I have a bunch of juice boxes I want to use up.

School lunch day 2

The thermos has chicken nuggets and the jar on top of the thermos has catsup. Also included are rice chips, cucumber slices and grapes. And I see there is no beverage so I guess I am heading down to the school right now to slip one in before lunch! For snack today he took a nectarine.

Back to School

Today was Andy's first day back at school - hard to believe he is in the 3rd grade already!
Here is what he took in his lunch box today - juice, carrot sticks, a turkey sandwich, rice chips and a nectarine. Now I know he probably won't have time to eat all of that, but I want him to have it available in case he is really hungry and does have time. For snack time he took a rice bar from EnviroKidz.

GFCF Zucchini Muffins

I made these last night and they are so yummy!

GFCF Zucchini Muffins

1 ½ cups GF Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Blend)
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raw sugar
1 cup finely shredded zucchini – peel and all
1 egg
¼ cup coconut oil
Zest of one lemon
1 cup chocolate chips (optional – you could also add nuts if desired)

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the first seven ingredients and set aside.
In another medium mixing bowl beat together sugar, zucchini and egg.
Add oil and lemon zest; mix well.
Stir flour mixture into zucchini mixture.
Fold in chocolate chips.
Spoon batter into muffin cups that are lined with paper liners or well greased.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Makes 1 dozen muffins

Yum Yum GFCF Pie

It is so yummy. It is half blueberry and half currants. We got blueberries this week from our CSA and Dan immediately wanted pie - but there wasn't enough so I picked a few currants and added them.

I used a pie crust mix from the gluten free pantry this time.

I used 4 cups of berries.
Mix together 1 cup sugar (use less if using all blueberries), 1/4 instant tapioca and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix with berries and put in unbaked pie shell. Cover with another pie crust. Bake for 40 minutes at 425 degrees.

Gluten Free Beer

I have finally found a gluten free beer to enjoy. I don't drink beer all that often, but when I come in from working in my garden all hot and sweaty I like a good cold one. While I'm not celiac like Andy I definitely do much better when I don't consume gluten.

Redbridge is made by Anheuser Busch and should be available most everywhere. It is made from sorghum and tastes pretty darn good.

I won't be letting my son have one for many many years but it is nice to know that when he grows up if he wants to have a beer with his friends he will be able to.

What a cool website

I just stumbled across this website and thought it was worth sharing with everyone.

It's called Wish Upon a Hero.

From their website: No wish too large. No hero too small.Wish Upon A Hero was first conceived by founder Dave Girgenti shortly after the September 11th attacks on New York City. From his home in NJ, Girgenti watched as thousands of people posted pictures of missing loved ones throughout the city. He thought there had to be a faster, more organized way to connect people in need. That was the moment in which the idea was born.

Cast a wish
Wish Upon A Hero is completely free to its users, allowing everyone who registers the opportunity to cast up to three wishes at a time. Because Wish Upon A Hero is designed to help everyone, wishes can be big or small, elaborate or simple, based on financial need or just asking for a simple favor.

Be a hero
Wish Upon A Hero is a unique venue for any individual, organization, or company looking to make a difference in someone’s life, or the lives of countless people. Heroes come in all ages and from all walks of life. All of us, from our nation’s most powerful corporations to individual philanthropists, and those with limited financial means, can be someone’s hero:
A man who buys uniforms for his town’s little league team.
A plastic surgeon brings his skill to the aid of an uninsured breast cancer survivor.
A national appliance retailer that donates a refrigerator to a single mom with a newborn.
A groundskeeper at Yankee stadium who helps a woman fulfill her father’s lifelong dream of throwing a single pitch across home plate.
A group of 8th graders that rally behind a fellow student whose home was lost in a fire.
A woman who writes to a man in Seattle to say, “I think I’m the sister you’ve been looking for since we were separated 21 years ago.”
A female soldier stationed in Iraq who says, “yes, I will.”
Once a wish is granted, the hero can choose to remain anonymous, or be formally recognized on the Wish Upon A Hero website

So - if there is something you need - go and post a wish. Or, grant a wish and be someone's hero. What a great concept!

GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I made a GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie twice recently. It got eaten before I could get a pic of it - it was that good!

It was one of those funny kitchen times - you know the kind - where it is funny and you laugh because if you actually think about it you will cry.

I had just picked strawberries from the garden and there wasn't quite enough for a pie by themselves so I had the inspiration to make a strawberry rhubarb one. So I go out and get the rhubarb and have everything washed up and sliced up and then I start to make the crust.

I was using my last GF Pie Crust Mix from Miss Robens. I was cutting in the margarine using my pastry cutter and it broke (the pastry cutter) - not only did it break but as it broke apart it caused the bowl to propel itself across the kitchen and landed upside down on the kitchen floor. I just stared at the mess in disbelief. I wanted a pie damn it! And that was my last mix. While I make most things from scratch, my pie crusts just haven't turned out well without a mix.

Frantically I tore the pantry apart hoping beyond reason that I was wrong and there was another pie crust mix in there but no dice. But I came across a Graham Cracker Mix from Miss Robens. Hmmmm - graham cracker crust with strawberry rhubarb......why not? So I made the pie using a graham cracker crust instead and it turned out super yummy.

So - use the crust of your liking and here is the rest of the recipe.

GFCF Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
2 cups sliced rhubarb
2 cups sliced strawberries
1 1/4 cups organic raw sugar (I'm sure you could probably use plain white sugar - but I'm on this health kick you know)
1/4 Minute tapioca
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Mix the ingredients all together in a large bowl and let sit for at least 15 minutes before pouring into crust. I mix it up first and then make the crust. Fill the crust as desired and bake at 425 degrees F for 45 minutes or until the juices bubble up.

GFCF Rhubarb Cake

Andy asked me yesterday if I could make a rhubarb cake. What a wonderful idea. Rhubarb is in season right now. I've never made a rhubarb cake before so I started tinkering and it came out so delicious!




GFCF Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients:
½ cup Margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
1 ½ cups Organic Raw Sugar (you could use brown sugar)
1 Egg, Beaten1 teaspoon Vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt1 cup milk substitute (I used Dari Free)
2 cups GF Flour Blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Mix)
½ teaspoon Xanthan Gum1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 cups Rhubarb
½ cup Organic Raw Sugar
½ teaspoon Cinnamon

Procedure:
Slice the rhubarb into 1/4" slices. Cream the margarine and 1 ½ cups sugar; add the egg, vanilla and salt; mix well. Add the milk substitute, flour, xanthan gum and soda; mix well. Stir in the rhubarb. Pour the batter into a well-greased "9x13" cake pan. Mix together ½ cup sugar and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; distribute this mixture evenly over the unbaked cake batter. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Madwoman Foods

Andy has a pizza party on Wednesday for his last full day of school. The only gfcf pizza that he will eat is made by Madwoman Foods.

We had previously bought the pizzas at Fresh and Natural in Shoreview, but decided to go straight to the source today and visit their bakery in Minneapolis. When we got there we discovered that this was a smart decision since the gentleman that waited on us (who identified himself as the owner) informed us that they have stopped selling wholesale to the stores. The retailers were marking up the products so much and they didn't want to become known for such expensive products.

The bakery was very easy to find - it is located at 4747 Nicollet Avenue South in South Minneapolis. If you are not local, you can still enjoy their wonderful products by ordering off of their website. All of their products are gluten free. Most are also casein free and most are low on the glycemic index (GI).

After we got the frozen pizzas, we let Andy pick a snack from the bakery case and he had a real hard time deciding. All of their baked goods looked so scrumptious. Andy finally settled on a piece of lemon cake and I got myself a chocolate muffin with vanilla frosting. Andy's lemon cake was really, really, really good - I would never have known it was GFCF - it was moist and delcious. My cupcake was very good also - just not as outstanding as the cake.

Madwoman Foods gets three thumbs up from us!

We are so fortunate here in the Twin Cities to have three gluten free bakeries and since I have now been to all 3 - I can tell you that all 3 are outstanding.

We got our first box from the CSA this week!

Look at all of those great veggies! We eat a lot of veggies around here and I am really hoping that between the garden and the CSA we won't have to buy any veggies from the store this summer. That will help the grocery bill!

GFCF Animal Crackers

We recently tried these Kinni Kritters from kinnikinnick foods. They were really good - it is nice to have an animal cracker that looks like regular ones. The box says Gluten Free, Wheat Free, Dairy/Casein Free, Egg Free and Trans Fat Free.

Rice Chex is now Gluten Free!

Hooray for General Mills for making another mainstream cereal gluten free.

From their website: Without changing the crunchy, oven-toasted flavor of Rice Chex, General Mills has replaced barley malt with molasses resulting in a Gluten Free Cereal. General Mills has taken the requisite steps to prevent cross contamination and has tested the formula based on the proposed FDA standards. Questions & comments are welcome at 1-800-328-1144.

Here is a link to their website with some gluten free recipes and more information.

http://www.chex.com/Recipes/CategoryView.aspx?CategoryId=447&t=5

A chocolate lover's cookie!

Warning these cookies are only for true chocolate lovers. They are wonderful. Andy thought they look like Moon Rocks so that is what I have named them. For anyone not GFCF, you could certainly use regular flour instead of the GF Flour and then you wouldn't need the xanthan gum.

GFCF Chocolate Moon Rock Cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups semi sweet chocolate chunks (or chips), divided
1 ½ cups GF Flour (I used Bob’s Red Mill GF Mix)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup raw sugar
6 tablespoons GFCF Margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Sticks)
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
½ cup powdered sugar

1. Melt 1 cup of the chocolate chunks (I prefer to use a small double boiler and not the microwave, but if you use a microwave – start at 1 min and then 10 second intervals – chocolate burns easily). Stir until smooth and let cool to room temperature.
2. Combine flour, baking powder, xanthan gum, and salt in small bowl and set aside.
3. Beat sugar, margarine and vanilla in large mixer bowl until crumbly.
4. Beat in melted chocolate.
5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
6. Beat in flour mixture.
7. Stir in remaining chocolate chunks.
8. Chill until firm.
9. Shape dough into small balls between one and two inches in diameter and roll balls in powdered sugar.
10. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for about 12 to 13 minutes or until sides are set but centers are still slightly soft.

Makes 3 to 4 dozen depending on the size of the balls you make.

GFCF Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup CF margarine (I used Earth Balance Buttery Spread)
2 cups turbinado sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 16 oz. jar all natural peanut butter (the kind that the oil separates out)
2 cups GF flour blend
2 cups old-fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream margarine and sugar
Add eggs, vanilla and peanut butter.
Add dry ingredients.
Shape by tablespoonful into balls. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown on ungreased baking sheets.

Makes 5 dozen

Spring is time for fresh salads!

Here are some recipes to make your own salad dressings to enjoy the fresh lettuce that is starting to show up in the stores. Remember that while making dressing from scratch is a great way to avoid high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors and flavors as well as gluten and casein, they also will not have any preservatives and won't last as long.

Here are my three favorite recipes -

Thousand Island Salad Dressing
1 cup mayonnaise (I use Spectrum Canola Mayo)
1/3 cup ketchup (I use organic)
2 tablespoons vinegar (I use Bragg’s apple cider vinegar)
4 teaspoons organic raw sugar (optional)
¼ cup sweet pickle relish (I use my own home canned)
1 tablespoon chopped onion
1 hard cooked egg, chopped into very small pieces
Salt and pepper to taste (optional)
Mix all ingredients together. Chill well.
Makes 2 cups

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
¾ cup organic raw sugar
¾ cup salad oil (I use olive oil)
¾ cup vinegar (I use Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar)
1 to 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Combine all ingredients together in a glass jar. Shake well. Refrigerate. Makes 1 ½ to 2 cups dressing.

GFCF Ranch Salad Dressing or Dip
1 cup firm silken tofu
¼ cup mayonnaise (I use Spectrum Canola Mayo)
2 tablespoons oil (I use olive oil)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dried or 1 teaspoon fresh dill weed
¼ teaspoon saltpinch of garlic powder
Blend in a blender until smooth and creamy. Chill.
Made as directed it is thick enough for a dip – if you prefer thinner for a salad dressing, thin with non dairy milk.

We joined a co-op today

Our income tax refund is being put to good use. First we bought a new washer and dryer (my old washer doesn't even have a dial on it any more - it was you turn what used to be a knob and pray you get a wash cycle and not a rinse one.....), then we joined a CSA and now the last of it went for a membership at our local food co-op. Joining a co-op has such great benefits for those of us on special diets and trying to eat healthier.

If you are local and curious, we joined the Mississippi Market. The reason - it's the co-op that is closest to us. I do shop sometimes at a couple of other co-ops, but I shop at Mississippi Market the most and it is the closest to our home.

The costs and benefits vary by co-op. Our cost was $90.00 and that is a one time payment - not a yearly payment. They even offer that you can make payments - 4 payments of $25.00 if you can't afford the whole amount up front - and you can take up to 18 months to pay! For the $90.00, we get 10% off a single grocery purchase up to $100.00 ($10.00 off max) every other month ($60.00 a year - so your membership cost is already down to $30.00 for the first year), 10% off special orders (I can order a case of say Ian's allergen free fish sticks and get 10% off the cost), member only specials every month and a share of the profits in profitable years. On top of all of that, we got a coupon book in our new member packet with 14 coupons in it for free products - most of them products that we already use.

Natural food co-ops tend to carry more of our GFCF products - so if you are already shopping at one and not a member, you really should look into joining. If you aren't shopping at a co-op and wonder if there is one near you - here is a website to check out - http://www.mwnaturalfoods.coop/index.php

Now is the time to join a CSA for 2008

Joining a CSA is a great way to eat organically and keep costs down. CSA stands for community supported agriculture. What you do is buy a share of the harvest - and then you get a weekly box of veggies from the farm. Here are some links to find out more information and to find a CSA in your area - http://www.localharvest.org/csa/; http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/pubs/csa/csa.shtml; and if you live locally here in the Twin Cities, here is a link to a list of the CSA's in our area - http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html.

There are many different options to consider when joining a CSA. Last year we joined late and were limited by who still had openings - many CSA's sell out early. We had an alright experience last year but we are switching CSA's this year. This is the one we are going with this year - http://www.harmonyvalleyfarm.com/. The reasons that Harmony Farm appeals to us are it has a longer season - 30 weeks instead of 17, (since we eat 52 weeks out of the year, I'd like to find a CSA to provide fresh organic veggies as many of those 52 weeks as possible) the list of the veggies that they grow are mostly ones that my family enjoys eating (while it was fun trying some new veggies last year - it would have been nice to have more old favorites) and they offer a monthly payment plan - where the money can be taken right out of your checking account every month.

A new name for a familar product

Wellshire Farms and Wellshire Kids products are now Garrett County at all stores except Whole Foods. Whole Foods is continuing to use the Wellshire name.


Here are what the chicken bites look like now in the new packaging. The product is the same, the name is all that has changed.

Struggling to help my child learn to make smart food choices

Life was so much easier when Andy was smaller. I just sent all of his food to daycare and he was watched like a hawk and never touched food that wasn't sent from home.

I still send all of his food from home, but trading parts of lunches is a big part of the social structure of second grade. I love that he has friends to trade foods with. I just want him to make the best food choices he can. After all, I want him to grow into an adult that can do just that.

Yesterday there was a false alarm at school. He had a tummy ache in the afternoon so after he used the bathroom he went to the school nurse and told her he thought it might be something he ate. He has yet to understand that sometimes we just get tummy aches and they have nothing to do with "special diets" - but when you have celiac, it is a good place to start.

So the nurse called me and we discussed everything he had eaten that had not come from home. Grace gave him her fruit cocktail and Sylvester shared a few potato chips. The potato chips were suspect - Andy had gotten some Pringles (not gfcf) from the same boy a month ago. So we questioned him and he had made sure they were not the "red can" kind and they were plain so he made some good choices in deciding whether they were safe - since most plain chips (except Pringles) are okay. A quick call to Sylvester's grandma confirmed that they were indeed okay (they were Lay's).

So, I think we are doing okay in this. I don't want to tell him not to trade foods - I want him to be able to enjoy lunch. Luckily we are not dealing with a severe food allergy that can kill him immediately. I know the gluten can still cause a lot of harm and I would rather he never make a bad food choice and get glutenized (is that a word?) but truthfully a tummy ache or two may make him learn to manage his food choices wisely.

Now, I just need to convince him that while we still want to investigate all tummy aches - that if we don't find a clear cause, it is okay to just let it go - it may have been nothing.

Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

This is another recipe from Rebecca Katz, author, One Bite at a Time, (Celestial Arts, 2004)

I made it exactly as she wrote it out except that I used a hand blender and did the blending right in the pot instead of transferring to a blender. It was so yummy. We are big carrot eaters in our house so I was pretty sure it would be a hit with all of us and it was.



Carrot Ginger Soup with Cashew Cream

Yields 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

3 pounds carrots (about 16) wash, cut in 1 inch pieces
2 to 2 ½ quarts cold water
1 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1/8 teaspoon coriander
1 small pinch of red chili pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon maple syrup

Cashew Cream Ingredients

1 cup raw cashews
1 cup water
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of nutmeg

Soup Procedure

In a 6 to 8 quart pot add carrots and water. Cover and bring to boil over medium high heat, add 1 teaspoon of salt, decrease heat to medium low. Cook until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserve cooking liquid and carrots in two bowls.

In the same pot heat olive oil over medium heat, add onions with a pinch of salt, sauté until they are golden. Add in ginger, curry, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, coriander, and red chili pepper flakes, stir to combine. Deglaze the pan with one cup of carrot cooking liquid. Return carrots to pan, mix well to coat with onions and spices.

In a blender, puree mixture in batches adding cooking liquid first and then the carrots, blend until very smooth. Remember not to fill the blender more than 2/3 full! Add additional liquid to reach desired thickness. Return to pot, add maple syrup, and reheat slowly.

Think FASS and taste. Does it need a squeeze of lemon or a pinch or two of salt or a drizzle of maple syrup to round out the flavor?

Cashew Cream

Grind cashews in a mini food processor or nut grinder first. Some blenders are not powerful enough to turn nuts into cream so we give it a head start. If you have a Vita-mix skip this step.

Put water in the blender; add ground cashews, lemon juice, salt and nutmeg. Blend until very very smooth, about 3 minutes. Drizzle a teaspoon of cashew cream on top of each bowl before serving.

Copy write Rebecca Katz, 2004.

GFCF Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes

I made this wonderful soup the other night - it was so tasty and a great way to use things I had canned and dried from my garden this year. It was a little too spicy for Andy so the kiddos may not like it - but it's a great soup for the adults. Next time I might add a little less cumin and see if Andy likes it then. If you aren't dairy free - this would be really good with some shredded cheese in it.



Mexican Soup with Dried Tomatoes
6 cups broth (I used turkey broth I had made with the turkey bones after Thanksgiving, but chicken or veggie broth would work just fine)
1 cup salsa (I used my home canned but I am sure store bought would work fine)
3/4 cup dried tomatoes, sliced in long strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups corn (frozen, canned or fresh will all work)
1 tablespoon lime or lemon juice

Combine all ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 minutes.

Andy's Birthday

Sorry - I've been a little behind and I never updated you with the final result of Andy's birthday cake. I did go with the Chocolate Zuchinni Cake and the kids all ate it really good. If you don't tell them there there is veggies in it, they'll never know!

As you can see, it turned out great. And yes, that is me over on the right.