Thanksgiving Preparations & More!

11-19-12

  I'm sorry it has been so long since my last post. I'm finding that pregnancy is far more tiring than I remember anyone ever telling me about! I've been sleeping at least 10 hrs a night and then sometimes I'll even take a nap after I get home from work! Thanksgiving day I'll begin week 9 of my pregnancy and still have yet to experience any "morning sickness", although I've had a few bouts of nausea that lasted an hour or two. This week the baby is the size of a raspberry and growing a millimeter a day. By week 9 (Tday) it will be the size of a green olive! I've has some really weird dreams, but that's apparently normal. My husband has been a real sweetheart and is so gentle, making sure that I have everything I need and am always comfortable. 
  We have 3 days until Thanksgiving and I've already started the preparations! My husband and I will be going up to his Aunt's for the holiday, with his brother and many other family members. With that thought in mind I've been thinking of all the things I need to make ahead and what I can take with me to make there. Today I'm being quite industrious by making a batch of Homemade Yogurt, 2 loaves of bread, and pie crusts. I'll also need to bake a pumpkin for pies later. The recipe I'll be including with this post is the bread recipe that I've been using. It isn't anything super special, but I like it and it is really easy to make and the ingredients are easily obtainable if I don't already have them on hand. I'm super excited to finally have a piece of buttered toast again! The first loaf I made was cubed and taken to a party at a friend's house for some delicious Swiss Cheese Fondue! Which was quite tasty. 
Happy Holiday and much Thanks!


Almond Loaf
Yields: 1 loaf

2-1/2 cups Almond Flour
1     cup  Dry Curd Cottage Cheese(DCCC), packed
3          Eggs
1/4   Tbsp Butter, melted
1     tsp  Baking Soda
1/4   tsp  Salt

Preheat Oven to 350^F.

1)  Grease 8x4 Pyrex loaf pan with butter. Dust bottom of pan with almond flour.
2)  In food processor blend DCCC, Eggs, melted Butter, Baking Soda, and Salt. Puree until smooth butter consistency.
3)  Add Almond Flour and blend until thoroughly combined. 
4)  Remove from food processor and shape into loaf in pan.
5)  Bake for about 1 hour @ 350^F. Cool on wire wrack. 

Original Recipe Link: http://www.scdrecipe.com/recipes-bread/

P-P-P-Pumpkins!!!

10-23-12

  Wahoo!!!! I successfully made my very first pumpkin pie, completely from scratch! That's right, SCRATCH, no canned pumpkin, no pre-made crust, and only honey as a sweetener! I made it last night and there is only one piece left. I'm currently cooling another crust so I can bake a second pie tonight :-P   It's a "chores around the house" day, so I figured I'd go ahead and post the pie recipe while I'm waiting on the laundry. My wonderful husband was a real gem and helped me every step of the way and I'm pretty well convinced that I'll never buy a pumpkin pie again (homemade is by far better and definitely worth the effort).  

  I'm super excited about all the people that I'm getting to come take a look at my blog and what I'm doing here. I added some pictures to some of my previous posts I hope you all enjoy.  I'm kinda flabbergasted...this morning I decided to weigh myself again (just for giggles) to find out how the last few days of Cinnamon Bun Muffins, Strawberry Sorbet, and Pumpkin Pie had affected me. Sorry to those people thinking I'd most definitely gained a pound or two...nope, I lost a whole pound! 0_o  I find that totally weird and against normal thought, but in fact I've lost yet another pound. I thought for sure I was at a plateau, perhaps I'm wrong. I'm the skinniest I've ever been in my entire life! I'm having a really hard time imagining that there is anything left to loose, but then I loose more weight and I continue to marvel at the oddity. Enough about that, on to the recipe!

Pumpkin Pie

Yield: 1-8"pie+1ramekin filling

Crust:

1-3/4  cup  Almond Flour

1/3    cup  Coconut Oil, melted

2     Tbsp  Honey

1      tsp  Vanilla Extract

1/4    tsp  Baking Soda

1/4    tsp  Ground Cinnamon

1/4    tsp  Ground Ginger

Dash        Salt

Filling:

2   cup  Pumpkin Puree (15oz canned)

1/2 cup  Water

3        Eggs

1   tsp  Vanilla Extract

1   tsp  Salt

1   tsp  Ground Cinnamon

1   tsp  Ground Ginger

1/4 tsp  Ground Clove

1/4 tsp  Ground Cardamom

1/2 tsp  Ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp  Lemon Zest

1/2 cup  Honey

Crust:

1)  Mix all ingredients until just combined (I suggest mixing dry ingredients first and then adding the wet).

2)  Press dough into greased pie plate, spreading evenly up sides and across bottom of pan.

3)  Bake at 325^F for 10 Minutes. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Filling:

1)  Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl. Combine thoroughly.

2)  Pour into pre-baked pie crust. You will end up with extra filling. Pour this into 1-2 greased ramekin(I used a small Pyrex dish). 

3)  Place pie and ramekins on baking sheet. Bake at 350^F for 30-40 minutes, or until center is slightly jiggly. (If crust edges brown too quickly, put strips of foil around the edges of the pie)

4)  Refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Original Recipe Link:   http://www.againstallgrain.com/2011/11/22/grain-free-and-dairy-free-pumpkin-pie/

Strawberry Shortcake Muffins

10-20-12

  Life's been busy, my in-laws were over the other night and we went to Ikea with them. It was nice to see them and spend time together. I've only tried three new recipes in the last few days. My favorite by far was a really delicious shortcake, I've had the link for a long time now and was so excited to finally get to try it. My hubby was a real sweetheart and helped me out, as it was a more labor intensive recipe, and I don't have four hands yet. :-P

 
Strawberry Shortcake Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

2-1/2 cups Almond Flour
3/4   tsp  Baking Soda
1/4   tsp  Salt
2/3   cup  Honey
1/3   cup  Coconut Oil, melted
4    large Eggs, room temperature
1     Tbsp Lemon Juice
2     tsp  Vanilla Extract
1/2   tsp  Lemon Zest
1/2   cup  Strawberries, finely chopped
Frosting:
2          Egg Whites
1/3   cup  Honey
1/4   tsp  Lemon Juice
1-1/2 Tbsp Strawberry puree

Preheat Oven to 325^F.
1)  Combine honey, oil, eggs, lemon juice, vanilla, and lemon zest in the blender. Puree on medium speed for 20 seconds or until frothy or smooth.
2)  Add dry ingredients and blend on high for 30-45 seconds. The batter should be very smooth and contain NO lumps. If needed, scrape down the sides with spatula and blend again for a few seconds until all dry ingredients are incorporated.
3)  Gently fold the chopped strawberries in by hand. Divide the batter evenly into lined or greased muffin pan, filling about 3/4 full.
4)  Bake for 16-18 minutes, until a toothpick can be inserted into the middle and comes out clean. 
5)  Let the cupcakes cool completely on the counter or wire rack.
Frosting:
Begin making frosting after cupcakes have cooled completely.
1)  Bring your honey to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.
2)  Meanwhile, beat the egg whites and lemon juice until frothy and you can just begin to see trail marks from your beaters. When you lift out the beaters, you should see the soft peaks.
3)  With the beaters running, slowly pour in the boiling honey in a steady stream. Continue beating for 6-8 minutes, until the meringue is cool to the touch.
4)  Gently fold in the strawberry puree, spread onto cupcakes with a knife. Serve Immediately. (keeps in fridge, on cupcakes, for 24hrs)

Original Recipe Link:  http://www.againstallgrain.com/2012/08/27/strawberry-shortcake-cupcakes/                  

Using What's on Hand...

10-16-12

  One of my favorite things to do is find an ingredient in my kitchen that has just been sitting there, usually because someone is afraid to "eat the last one", or because it's too small of a quantity to use in one of my normal recipes. With this ingredient in mind, I then scour the internet for a recipe that utilizes that food item and anything else I have on hand. 

  Last night I was craving some bread, after eating the delicious squash soup, so I began to look for a recipe that would use the 1, overripe, banana sitting idle in the fruit bowl. It was quite a task, because most bread and cake recipes I found used 2-4 bananas. At long last though I found a recipe that served the purpose and sounded delicious! My Hubby and I worked together and made this dessert. When it came out of the oven, and cooled sufficiently, everyone tried a piece and thought it was super good! I was so glad the guys liked it so well (although I wonder if they were just happy to have a good homemade dessert again), however I didn't like it so well at first. The flavor was good, but the crumble on top was off for me and too dry. This morning I decided to have a piece again, but I drizzled some honey on top after warming it up, and enjoyed it so much more. I'd contemplated trying to alter the recipe the next time I make it, but decided, that with such an easy fix, I'd leave it as it is. 

Always,

Kittydid

Banana Spice Coffee Cake

Batter:

1       Banana, mashed

5       Eggs

1.5 tsp Vanilla Extract

1  Tbsp Honey

1.25cup Almond Flour

1.5 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/2 tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1/4 tsp Baking Soda

1/4 cup Coconut Oil, melted (plus more for greasing pan)

Topping:

1/2 cup Almond Flour

1   tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Ground Ginger

1/8 tsp Ground Nutmeg

1/8 tsp Ground Cloves

1.5 tsp Coconut Oil

Preheat oven to 350^F

Batter:

1)  In a large bowl mix together mashed banana, eggs, vanilla, and honey until all the wet ingredients are incorporated.

2)  In a small bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, and baking soda.

3)  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until better forms. Stir in melted coconut oil to batter; mix well.

Topping:

4)  In a small bowl, blend together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and coconut oil. Blend until the mixture forms a crumb-like texture. Add 1/2 tsp more coconut oil if the crumb mixture doesn't form.

5)  Pour batter into greased 8x8 baking dish and sprinkle topping evenly across the top. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.

  Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes and then cut into squares and serve.  

Original Recipe Link:  http://www.multiplydelicious.com/thefood/2012/08/banana-spice-coffee-cake/

Apple Cake Mistake

10-4-12

  I'm back and ready to give an account of my first "conversion" recipe. I made a Plum Cake for my client the other day and wanted to see if I might be able to alter the recipe to comply with my diet. The original recipe had said that you could use other fruits in place of plums. I only had apples on hand, so I made apple cake. :-)
  The results of my cake were not what I expected. The cake ended up rather bland, but the sliced apples on top are what made it delicious. After discussing what I found in my alterations with a few people, I decided that I'll need to make another cake to work out the kinks. The next time I make it, I'm planning to add some vanilla extract. Until then I'll post below with the Original and Converted cake recipes. 
  On another note, when I arrived home from work today my husband and his two younger brothers were making another batch of Sorbet, this time it is Peach flavored. They used the same recipe as before, with the strawberries, only they substituted the strawberries with five large peaches. The taste is very delicious once again, however, we found that the textures are altogether different. The peach sorbet is light tasting and fluffy in texture, while the strawberry sorbet was bold and a definite sorbet texture. I'm very proud of the guys and their talents at making delectable frozen desserts. 

God Bless!
Kittydid

Apple Cake (SCD)
  1       Egg
  1   tsp Lemon Juice
  2  Tbsp Butter, melted
 1/4  cup Honey
1-1/2 cup Almond Flour
 1/8  tsp Cinnamon
 1/8  tsp Baking Soda
 1/8  tsp Salt
  2 small Apples, peeled & sliced
 1/4  cup Cinnamon-Honey mix 

1)  Beat egg until lemon-colored.
2)  Add lemon, butter, and honey; mix well.
3)  Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture.
4)  Press batter into greased 8"x8" pan. (If batter is too stiff, add a bit of water--but it works w/o adding any.)
5)  Arrange fruit on batter and drizzle evenly with Cinna-Hony mix.
6)  Bake for 40 min. at 350F.

*note: next time I'm going to add 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract. Will write update when I do, with how it turns out.

Original Plum Cake Recipe
 1       Egg
1/2 tsp  Lemon Extract
 2 Tbsp  Butter, melted
1/8 tsp  Cinnamon
3/4 cup  Flour
2/3 cup  Sugar
1/2 tsp  Baking Powder
1/8 tsp  Salt
Fresh-or-Frozen Italian Prune/Plum halves
1/4 cup  Cinnamon-Sugar mix

1)  Beat egg until lemon-colored.
2)  Add lemon extract and butter, mix well.
3)  Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture.
4)  Press batter into greased 8"x8" pan. (If batter is too stiff, add a bit of milk--bit it works w/o adding any.)
5)  Arrange fruit, cut-side up, on batter. Sprinkle with Cinna-Sugar mix.
6)  Bake for 40 min. at 350F.

The Men's Test Kitchen

10-2-12

  Last night the guys (my husband and his younger brothers) decided that they wanted to make some homemade ice cream. So I spent much of the night searching for a recipe they could make with the food on hand and something I could also enjoy eating with them. This search led me to this Pinterest page. I found many delicious recipes, but settled on a Strawberry Sorbet (recipe at bottom of post).

  I'm super proud of the guys for learning to use the Ice Cream Machine for the first time and making the Sorbet all on their own. It is very yummy and something we will definitely be making again.

  My first "conversion" recipe is currently in the oven, so I'll be posting again when it is done and we have tasted it (later tonight or tomorrow).

God Bless!

Kittydid

Strawberry Sorbet

2-3 lbs  Strawberries (I used frozen strawberries)

1    cup Water

1    cup Honey

1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1)  Combine the honey and water in a saucepan and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to create a sweet syrup. Cool the syrup.

2)  Place the cleaned strawberries in a blender or food processor, and blend until the strawberries are pureed. (I added the other ingredients also to puree the strawberries easier)

3)  Combine the pureed strawberries, lemon juice, and the syrup, and blend well.

4)  Cool in the refrigerator for an hour.

5)  Add the mixture to an ice cream maker to make the sorbet.

6)  It will be somewhat soft, but completely delicious, or you can place it in the freezer for storage.

Original Recipe Link: http://comfybelly.com/2009/05/all-natural-strawberry-sorbet/#.UGtf9cXAETB