This feel good soup is bursting with vibrant goodness and packed with minerals.

It can be served warm and is also wonderful served at room temp or slightly chilled. 

NOTE: Feel free to modify this recipe by substituting with any green veggies you have; asparagus, peas, green onions, radish/beet tops, bok choy, parsley. It all works! 

SOUP INGREDIENTS 

2 T of Olive oil or Coconut Oil
1 med sized Yellow Onion, chopped
1 stalk of Celery, chopped
1 cloves of Garlic, chopped
1 T of dried or 2 springs of fresh Oregano, chopped
1 t of dried or 1 spring of fresh Thyme, de-stemmed and chopped
1/2 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
2 C Broccoli, chopped
1 C Green Beans, chopped
1-2 small Zucchinis, chopped
4 C of Greens (choose or mix Kale, Chard, Spinach or Arugula), de-stemmed and chopped
5 C  Vegetable Broth, divided into 1 C and 4 C

FANTASTIC TOPPINGS

Toasted Pumpkins Seeds 
Fresh Cilantro 
Dash of Smoked Paprika
Chopped Avocado
Nutritional Yeast
Braggs
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

serves 4

~ Heat oil in large soup pot on Med heat.

~ Add Onions, cover and slowly cook until translucent, about 15 mins.

~ Chop the rest of your veggies while your onions are cooking. 

~ Add Celery and cook until softened.

~ Add Garlic, Oregano, Thyme and a pinch of Salt/Pepper. Stir and cook for 2 mins.

~ Add Bell Pepper, Broccoli, Zucchini, Green Beans, and 1 C of broth. Cover and cook until slightly soft, about 5 mins.

~ Stir in Greens until wilted.

~ Turn heat up to Med-High and add the remaining 4 C of the Veggie Broth. 

~ Bring to a gentle boil, turn down, cover and simmer until all veggies are soft. 15 mins.

~ Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes then transfer to a blender. Blend on low until desired consistency. Be sure to leave some veggies unblended if you want some texture in your soup.

~ Salt and Pepper to taste.

~ Finish with adding your choice of toppings and serve with fresh bread or crackers.

One of my kiddos, Avie, is a natural in the kitchen. As small as she is, there on her stepstool, she is quite “The Food Fairy”. Every morning she rushes to her step stool to create something wonderful, often picking things from the garden to include in her creations.

One of her favorite creations is Fruit Salad. She often adds several different kinds of mints from our garden, but this morning she really surprised us when she added dill, parsley, and cilantro to the Fruit Salad!

It had never occurred to me to use those specific herbs this way!  So I was inspired to share her idea with you in the form of this blog.

Here is her recipe for Sassy Fruit Salad, feel free to add your own fruit combo:

~ Bananas (she got these from our garden but you can get them from anywhere 🙂 )
~ Blackberries
~ Raspberries
~ Strawberries
~ Parsley
~ Dill
~ Cilantro

All the fruit was cut into small chunks and the herbs were finely diced. All of the herbs and fruit were organic in her original recipe but feel free to modify as appropriate for your situation.

Avie also is know for adding edible flowers to her creations.  Among her favorite she plucks from the garden are Nasturtiums and Marigolds.

I absolutely love baking pies.  The filling matters but what really brings pies to the top of their game is the perfect pie crust.  This blog is not going to cover the making of the pie crusts, it focuses on the baking of the perfect pie crust once it is made.  I have seen these steps carry through perfect pie crust whether it is white flour based or my favorite, gluten free.

Step 1:  PREVENTING SOGGY BOTTOM and SIDE CRUST

Bake the pie crust for a few minutes BEFORE putting the filling in.  Doing this will prevent soggy bottom and side crust.  The amount of time varies depending on the pie crust ingredients but I watch it carefully, checking every couple of minutes until it starts to harden and change color.  If you are prone to get distracted, you may have to set the timer for a couple of minutes at a time to keep your focus when it is most needed in this early stage 🙂

Step 2:  PREVENTING TOP CRUST FROM HAVING BURNT SPOTS

A simple step I learned in my early days of pie baking is to brush an ice cube over the outside rim of the crust and if the pie has a top crust, also brushing the ice cube over the parts that stick up most and that would tend to burn.  This tip works like a charm.  I can’t remember the last time I had any burn marks on my pie crusts because of this method.

Step 3:  PERFECT PIE CRUST CRISPNESS and MORE BURN PROTECTION

Place pie more towards center of the oven rather than further up.  Having even exposure to the heat allows for more consistent cooking and burn protection.

Step 4:  STALK THE PIE TOWARDS THE END OF BAKE TIME

The last few minutes of baking can make or break your pie crust.  I always stay close by and set the timer for a couple of minutes at a time near the end to make sure the filling fluffs up perfectly cooked while also minding the crust doesn’t cross over that perfect golden crisp to burn in the last minutes.

I hope you enjoy baking your perfect crusts as much as I do!

[Gluten Free & Vegan]

Do you believe in love at first bite?

You will after you try these vegan, gluten free, peanut butter banana bread bites!

These magnificent, moist, and “Mmmmmm” worthy morsels are made with oats instead of wheat, so they’re gluten free.

And the egg replacement is made by combining ground Flaxseeds with water.

These terrific treats will take your tastebuds on a trip to heaven & are sure to leave you speechless!

I bake them in a muffin pan and top them with peanut butter, so they’re almost like a cupcake!

I actually recently gifted them to a few friends who told me they’re more of a cake than a bread, so I think it’s fantastically fitting that they could be mistaken for cupcakes.

Here’s what you need to make them for a special surprise, a typical Tuesday or even on Earth Day!

Ingredients

3 Medium, Super Spotty, Browning Bananas! (The spottier, the better)
2 ½ Cups of Gluten Free Rolled (Old Fashioned) Oats – Separated
½ Cup Coconut Sugar
¼ Cup Natural, Drippy, Room Temperature Peanut Butter (Plus extra for topping)
2 Tablespoons of Ground Flaxseeds* + 6 Tablespoons of Filtered Water
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda + 2 Teaspoons Cream of Tartar (Can be substituted with 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder**)
1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt
½ tsp Cinnamon

Awesome Optional Add-Ins

Your favorite Chocolate Chips

Notes & Nuances

*I buy my Flaxseeds whole and ground them myself in my mini Ninja Food Processor. Doing it this way keeps them fresher, longer. Once the oil that’s released when grounding is exposed to the air, it begins to break down and turn rancid, which won’t hurt you, but will affect the freshness / taste. That’s why I ground mine fresh immediately before using.

**For some strange reason, I never seem to have any baking powder on hand. So when I heard that combining Cream of Tartar with Baking Soda will have the same effect as using Baking Powder, I was thrilled! I tried it and it turned out to be true!

Here’s what you do

Step One: Preheat your oven to 350°F, use your favorite method to make your muffin pan a non-stick surface (line with papers, silicone cups, coconut oil, etc) and set aside. I lightly coat mine with coconut oil.

Step Two: Add two cups of the Old Fashioned Oats into a blender or food processor, reserving the ½ cup for later, and process until you create an “oat flour.” I use my mini ninja food processor for this.

Step Three: Ground the Flaxseeds. Then, mix the ground Flaxseeds and Filtered Water together in a small bowl, stir thoroughly, and set aside. This will create your “Flax Eggs.” Be sure to allow the mixture to sit for at least 10-15 minutes.

Step Four: Thoroughly mix the Baking Soda and Baking Powder together in a small bowl.

Step Five: Combine all the “dry ingredients” (the Oat Flour, Coconut Sugar, Sea Salt, Cinnamon & Baking Soda + Cream of Tartar mixture) in a large mixing bowl and whisk them together.

Step Six: Combine all of the remaining ingredients (Peanut Butter, Bananas, Apple Cider Vinegar, Vanilla & Flax Egg) together in your food processor & process until it is evenly incorporated. This can alternatively be done by mashing the bananas in a bowl with a fork and then mixing everything together.

Step Seven: Slowly pour the Banana / Peanut Butter mixture from the food processor into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir together until everything is evenly assimilated into a uniform “dough.”

Step Eight: Fill each muffin cup evenly with batter & bake for 20-30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and / or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed cleanly.

Step Nine: Allow the bite-sized-breads to cool slightly in the pan before removing, then transfer them to a cooling rack to allow them to finish cooling completely.

Step 10: After they’ve cooled and you’re ready to serve, spread peanut butter over the top of the bites & bon appetit!

Create, eat, & enjoy!!

Perfect at the dawn of the day, as a midday munchie or for a delicious dessert!

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word “cookie” I automatically think, “Yes please!”

You say the words “breakfast cookie” and I’m even more excited! 

If calling it a “breakfast cookie” gives me the excuse to eat it before 8am, I’m all in! 

Not only are these cookies magnificent to have in the morning for breakfast, but they also make a magical midday pick-me-up or a delightful dessert! 

They’re also vegan & gluten free!  

So what’s not to love??

Here’s what you need:

2 ½ Cups of Gluten Free Old Fashioned Oats
4 Tablespoons of melted Coconut Oil
4 Tablespoons of ground Flax seeds**
½ Cup Filtered Water**
1/3 Cup of room temperature Natural Peanut Butter
¾ Cup of Coconut Sugar
¼ Teaspoon of Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon of Baking Soda
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla Extract
1/3 Cup of your favorite Chocolate Chips (optional but excellent)

**I’ve made these cookies with both chia seeds and flax seeds as the “egg substitute” with success, but I favor the flax as they have a more “rustic” feel. 

Side Note: Be sure to increase the filtered water to 1 Cup if using Chia Seeds.  

Note: While this recipe will work and will be absolutely awesome if made immediately after mixing, I find that if I mix everything up and then allow it to “rest” or “hydrate” overnight, it allows the cookies to become fluffier, fuller and quite frankly, fantastic! 

Here’s what you do:

Step 1: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper & preheat your oven to 350°F.

Step 2: Mix the flax seeds and filtered water together in a small bowl, stir thoroughly, and set aside. This will create your “flax egg.” Be sure to allow it to sit for at least 10-15 minutes.

Step 3: Add two cups of the oats to a blender or food processor, reserving the ½ cup for later, and process until you create an “oat flour.” 

Step 4: Combine all of the dry ingredients (the Oat Flour, Coconut Sugar, Sea Salt, remaining ½ cup of unprocessed Oats and Baking Soda) together in a large bowl & whisk together. 

Step 5: Melt the Coconut Oil until it’s a liquid, add it to the dry ingredients in the large bowl & stir together. 

Step 6: Add the “Flax egg,” Peanut Butter and Vanilla into the large bowl and mix everything together until they are assimilated and it forms a uniform dough.

Step 7: Fold-in the chocolate chips and stir the dough until they’re evenly incorporated.

Step 8: Allow the mixture to “rest” for at least 30 minutes, but ideally 24 hours before baking.

Step 9: Scoop the dough into tablespoon-sized scoops and place them on the cookie sheet spaced evenly apart.

Step 10: Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Step 11: Allow them to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet, and then remove them from the cookie sheet and transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling completely.

Store up to a week in an airtight container, though i doubt they will last that long. 😉

Create, eat, & enjoy!! 

German honey Christmas cookie made with molasses

Ingredients:

½ cup honey
1 ¼ teaspoons ground nutmeg

½ cup dark molasses
1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon

¾ cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 egg
1 tablespoon lemon juice

2¾ cups flour
⅓ cup nuts, chopped

½ teaspoon baking soda
⅓ cup chopped citron

1 teaspoon lemon rind, grated whole blanched almonds

1 teaspoon clove

Preparation:

Mix honey and molasses and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and cool completely. Stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon juice and lemon rind. Sift together flour, baking soda and spices, then stir into the honey-molasses mix. Mix in the citron and chopped nuts, place the dough in the refrigerator and chill overnight. Roll out a small amount of dough at a time to ¼ inch, keeping the rest in the fridge. You can either cut out oblong shapes about 1 ½” x 2 ½” or just cut circle shapes about 2” in diameter.

Place on a GREASED baking sheet about 1” apart. Place 3 almonds on top of each cookie in a flower shape, and place in a 400* oven for 10-12 minutes or until no imprint remains when touched.

Tips:

A light glaze may be added to the cookie:
1 cup confectioners sugar
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon lemon juice

After the cookies have cooled brush the tops lightly with glaze and allow to firm.

Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature.

When I went gluten-free (in 2012), the options were very limited and not very yummy 🙁

But now there are gluten-free options to replace everything that we could want.  A few years ago (compliments of Ms. Renee, Ms. Laura, and Ms. Birte 🙂 at the Waldorf-Inspired Mangrove School of Sarasota) I discovered what is still my favorite gluten-free bread recipe.

For those of you who also have to avoid yeast, I have made this recipe without it, and although it isn’t as fluffy, it is still great 🙂

You can make this recipe in the form of rolls, pizza crust, bread loaf, hamburger rolls, hot dog buns, or hearts, dinosaurs, rainbows and anything else you can think of 🙂

Here is what you will need:

1 tablespoon of yeast

1 teaspoon of maple syrup or honey

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/2 cup of ground flax seed

1/4 cup of psyllium husks

1/4 cup of tapioca flour

2 and 1/4 cup of brown rice flour (or 1 cup of brown rice flour, 1 cup of sorghum, 1/4 cup of teff)

dash to a 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Here is what to do:

1. Dissolve into 2 cups of warm water (and do make sure it is WARM as hot water will kill off the yeast and cold water won’t properly activate the yeast)

2. Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes to activate yeast

3. Mix in olive oil, maple syrup (or honey), ground flax seed, and psyllium husks

4. Allow this mixture to sit a few minutes to absorb the water

5. In a separate mixing bowl (larger than the bowl that the liquid mixture is in ) combine tapioca flour and brown rice flour (and/or whatever other flour you choose) and salt

6. Slowly start pouring liquid mixture into powder mixture and knead as you go.  Continue pouring liquid mixture and kneading until you have a good chunk of workable dough

7. Create shape that you want and bake. Bake times will depend on what shape/s you make. Smaller rolls need less time than loaf.  It seems like it takes less than 30 minutes or no more than that long for whatever I have made. Keep an eye on it and take out when it reaches the perfect light brown or lighter if you don’t want as much crispiness 🙂

Add butter, olive or coconut oil, honey, cinnamon, and whatever else and ENJOY!

We have also done much experimenting adding different herbs, spices, seeds, and even crushed lavender flowers.  Other great adds are oats or fruit.  Have fun with it 🙂

Recipes with pumpkin are fun anytime but they really make the autumn and holiday season exciting!  Here is a great recipe for gluten-free pumpkin bars:

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, beaten (or egg substitute)
• 15-ounce can pumpkin or fresh cooked pumpkin
• 1 1/3 cups sugar (other equivalent of other sweetener)
• 1 cup vegetable oil or applesauce
• 2 cups all-purpose gluten-free flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger or nutmeg (for a fun twist, add pinch of cardamom)
• Icing, frosting, coconut flakes or any other topping 🙂

Directions:

1    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Set aside a 10- by 15-inch baking pan (or, for a fluffier version, a 9- by 13-inch pan). Beat together eggs (or egg substitute), pumpkin, sugar (or other sweetener) and oil until well blended.

2    Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, the ginger / nutmeg, or other spices. Mix until smooth, then spread the batter in your pan. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool. 

3    Apply desired topping & enjoy!

A great tip for the season is to order organic gluten-free baking mix in bulk so you can be ready to make lots of goodies 🙂

Hope you love these as much as I do!

~ Annie