Menu Plan Week of 01/19/14-01/25/14

Good morning all!

Here is this week's menu plan! I was getting ready to post my menu along with other blogger's menus on www.orgjunkie.com and I saw a post about setting up beverage stations. It was super cute and a fun idea to try! Check out the other tips on the website about getting organized. Be sure to also check out the other menu's to get some ideas for your own menu plan this week. You can find them and mine here!

Hope you all have a great week!


Menu Plan Week of 01/19/14-01/25/14

Rocky Road Cupcakes

My son is a big time chocolate chip cookie lover. Whenever I ask him what he wants me to make, his answer is always chocolate chip cookies (or mac & cheese). This time I said “What about something else?” He says “I want chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.” I agreed but I like adding a little extra to the cupcakes so they aren’t so plain looking. The kids love marshmallows so I decided to throw a few minis on top and add some pecans to the base and the frosting. Check it out at the link below!

Rocky Road Cupcakes

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

You can easily find a “copy-cat” recipe for those wonderful little biscuits served at Red Lobster – Cheddar Bay Biscuits I believe – all over the internet. I very rarely ate there and actually had these similar biscuits at home long before I ever ate them at the restaurant. You can also find the recipe on the back of Bisquick boxes. These little recipes are not gluten free. I hate to tell my secrets and try to make light of an awesome biscuit recipe but these are not difficult to make. All I did was substitute a few little things to make them gluten free and add my own touch. SO simple but still tasty! I suggest making a big batch though – you will want more than one! Go check out my new website for the full recipe!

Cheddar Garlic Biscuits

Menu Plan Monday - NEW WEBSITE!

First things first - I am now the proud owner of my own domain! For Christmas, that is what my husband got me! I'm so excited about it and I hope you'll follow me over to my new and improved site! Instead of posting the actual recipe or topic - I will provide a link to the actual post on my new site once I get everything up and running. I'm transferring all of my previous posts to the new site so you can still find everything there. So be on the lookout for that!

Second - here is this week's menu plan! It's full of warm recipes since it is bitter cold and snow covered where I'm at! Check out some other menu plans here, hosted by www.orgjunkie.com!

Artichoke Olive Feta Pizza

I love making pizza. There are so many different varieties to try and everyone can get what they want. My son wanted plain pepperoni pizza which I can’t eat. I wanted olives on mine, which my husband won’t touch! So everyone got what they wanted. I just split the dough into three pieces and baked everyone their own “personalized” pizza. Of course, mine was the best : ) so it gets posted. I wanted something a little salty but still savory and very Mediterranean. This pizza is just that! Makes one serving – about a 5” pizza but the dough mixture will make about one regular 14” pizza crust.

1 pkg of pizza dough (I used Namaste allergy free brand and split it three ways)

1 Tbsp pizza sauce (preferably homemade!)

1 Tbsp diced onions

1 tsp olive oil

½ tsp white wine vinegar

¼ cup Swiss chard, finely chopped

1 Tbsp diced mushrooms

1 Tbsp artichoke, chopped

1 Tbsp Greek olives, chopped (I used a green, black, kalamata mix)

1 Tbsp feta cheese

•  Pre-bake pizza dough according to package instructions. 
• Meanwhile, sauté onions, mushrooms and chard in olive oil. Add in artichokes, olives and vinegar. 
• Cook for about 8 minutes or until vegetables are soft. 
• Spread sauce over top of pizza crust, sprinkle over vegetable mixture and top with Feta cheese. 
• Bake at 450° for about 10-15 minutes or until pizza starts to brown. Use more or less toppings as you’d like. 

New Year New You Breakfast

Happy New Year! Today, some of you may not wake up in time for breakfast and might not feel like eating if you had a little too much fun! For those of you like me, who barely stayed up to “ring in the new year” and then awoke to very busy kids early, you might need a quick pick me up! If you saw my post yesterday about our New Year’s goals, you will see that one of mine is embracing my health issues and having a more positive outlook on them.  A couple weeks ago, I found out I was showing intolerances to almost every food. My major problems being gluten, dairy and eggs – which I was forced to give up immediately. The dairy and eggs have proven to be quite a struggle to give up. I was eating two eggs a day for breakfast. When I first started going through my diet change last summer I found a cute little blog, Peas and Thank You, and a cookbook by the same name. The author is very fun in her writing. They follow a vegan diet that includes gluten so I do have to make some modifications to her recipes but they are still great! In her cookbook I found a recipe for tofu eggs. I immediately thought, “no way am I eating tofu”. My sister is vegan. She eats tofu; I’ve tried it and hated it. However, I decided to give it another shot. I modified the recipe I found to add in my favorite veggies and I’m very surprised (and happy) to say that it works! This is a baked dish that tastes similar to a quiche or frittata. Tofu, when baked like eggs, has a very similar taste and texture to eggs. I challenge you to try the tofu as it does have many health benefits. However, I understand if you just can’t quite make that leap into the tofu world (it was hard for me!). If you can’t, I’ve added an egg substitution for you. Either way, this dish is healthy, tasty, filling and keeps well. Sometimes life brings us challenges that we aren’t prepared for but today is a new day, the start of a new year and I’m embracing a new “me” and I hope this little dish helps! This serves 4-6.

1 package of tofu (any firmness will work) or 8 eggs

¼ cup peppers, chopped

½ cup kale, chopped

¼ cup mushrooms, chopped

¼ cup potato, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

¼ cup shredded cheese (I used Daiya dairy free cheddar)

1 tsp black pepper

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp dried oregano

¼ tsp sea salt

• In a large skillet, sauté kale, peppers, mushrooms and potato in olive oil until crisp tender (about 10-15 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare tofu. 
• If you are using a firm or extra firm tofu, you will need to puree it until smooth. To do this, just use a blender and a little bit of water until it is smooth. 
• If you are using a soft tofu, you won’t need to puree it, but you will need to drain the excess water out.
•  If you use the soft tofu, you can leave it a little chunkier and it gives the dish a scrambled egg like texture. If you use the firm pureed tofu, its smoother. Either way it tastes great! 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine tofu, cheese, spices and vegetables; stir until well combined. 
• Pour mixture into a greased 9” glass pie plate or other baking dish. Bake at 375°F for about 20-25 minutes or until mixture starts to brown and is firm in the center. 
• You can also fill muffin cups with the mixture and make individual servings, just adjust your cooking time. 
• Serve this with some fresh fruit for a complete meal!

Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole

This recipe may trick you. It looks like a cheesy, fattening, heavy casserole. However, it is a slimmed down, lean, tasty casserole that you can feel good about eating. This low fat, low carb dish is still comforting and delicious. Chicken Cordon Bleu can typically be very heavy and most casseroles have a rich and creamy but fatty sauce. I swapped out the heavy cream for a lighter but still savory sauce. I kept the swiss cheese but it could easily be substituted for a diary free cheese and still taste great. I also swapped out the carb filled pasta for some carb free spaghetti squash. I even added a few extra veggies to get more nutrients. Any way you make it (traditional or modified), this dish is savory and wonderful. Perfect for a fall or winter day.

2 chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbsp Olive oil

¼ cup onion or bleu cheese dressing (homemade or bought – I used a sweet Vidalia onion dressing)

½ spaghetti squash, cut lengthwise

¼ cup water

¼ cup onion or bleu cheese dressing

2 cups swiss chard, cut into thin, short strips

4 slices of swiss cheese

3 oz of sliced deli ham, diced

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp garlic, minced

• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil. Cook chicken breast chunks in olive oil and ¼ cup of the onion or bleu cheese dressing. Cook chicken for about 15-20 minutes or until cooked through completely. 
• In a greased 2 quart baking dish, pour water and place one half of the spaghetti squash, cut side down. Pierce squash shell with a knife or fork. Cook in microwave for about 10 minutes. Once spaghetti squash is cooked, drain any extra water from the baking dish. Turn over squash and scrape edges and bottom of shell with a fork to make spaghetti “noodles”. Place scraped squash into a separate bowl. 
• While squash is cooking, quick-blanch the swiss chard. Bring two cups of water to boil in a sauce pan. Put swiss chard in boiling water and cook for about a minute. Drain water quickly from chard. 
• In the same baking dish, spread cooked chicken on bottom. Sprinkle spaghetti squash over chicken. Pour the remaining ¼ cup of dressing over squash and chicken. Place swiss chard over squash and then sprinkle on diced ham. Next, layer on slices of swiss cheese until mixture is covered. Layer on sliced tomatoes until dish is covered. Finally, sprinkle on salt pepper and minced garlic.
•  Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and mixture starts to bubble around edges. 

Menu Plan Monday - Week of 12/29/13-01/04/13

Good Morning All!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday! I know we sure did. We wrapped up our 12 Days of Giving, went to Midnight Mass, celebrated with all of our families, relaxed a little, spent extra time together - it was perfect! I'm not too thrilled to be back to the normal Monday craziness but that's what pays the bills! We've been discussing our New Year's goals (not resolutions!). I'll be posting those later in the week. What are some of your goals or resolutions for 2014? Save money? Lose weight? Travel? Strengthen your faith? I hope to help those of you that answered yes to some of these... we've got some big plans for the new year! If you are looking to get a little more organized this year, check out the Menu Plan Monday hosting site www.orgjunkie.com. If you click on this link, you will also find some other menu plans to start your week and new year off right! Enjoy bringing in the New Year and stay safe!!!

29	30	31	1	2	3	4
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
egg	tofu eggs	Breakfast	cinnamon rolls	tofu eggs	fruit/nut	scones
toast	muffin	quinoa	hashbrowns	toast	cereal	eggs
banana	fruit	apples	orange	banana	apple	fruit
tea/milk	tea/milk	tea/milk	tea/milk	tea/milk	tea/milk	tea/milk
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
chicken	olive	fruit & nut	leftover	lettuce	chicken	chicken
veggie	chicken	salad	pasta	wraps	soup	chili
spring rolls	lettuce wraps	carrots	salmon	carrots	rolls	cornbread
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
leftovers	salmon	butternut sq.	crockpot	chicken	KIDS	tuna steaks
or	asparagus	pasta	roast chicken	enchilada	CHOICE	kale salad
salad	salad	kale	potatoes	casserole	burgers	squash
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
pretzels	apples	celery/PB	apples	pretzels	smoothie	smoothie
orange	carrots	pretzels	carrots/hummus	celery/PB	carrots	trailmix
brownies	chocolates	party food!	milk shake	cookies	fruit pizza	cupcakes

I hope 2014 brings as many blessings as 2013!

Zucchini Lasagna & Gluten Free Italian Breadsticks

When I first went gluten free, I was so worried about finding replacement pasta. There are plenty of gluten free pasta options out there that taste great. I have plenty in my cabinets but I find myself trying different alternatives. I really like replacing pasta with different types of squash. Sliced zucchini is a fantastic replacement for lasagna noodles. It is low fat, low carb, grain free, gluten free, etc. It softens up nicely while baking and makes gives the dish and extra boost of flavor. We made this vegan but you could easily add ground beef or turkey to make it a little heartier. As always, you can substitute regular cheese for the dairy free kind. Serves 4-6

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into 12 slices lengthwise (use a mandolin!)

1-2 cups pasta sauce

½ cup mushrooms, diced

1 cup swiss chard, kale or spinach, chopped (use a combination!)

¼ cup diced onion

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp parsley

½ tsp basil

2 cups shredded dairy free cheese (I like Daiya brand)

• In a large skillet, sauté onion, mushrooms, chard and garlic in olive oil. 
• In a 9x9 baking pan, spread about 1 Tbsp of pasta sauce. Place 4 slices of zucchini over sauce. Top with ½ of the mushroom mixture. Sprinkle 1/3 of the cheese over veggies. Top with about ¼ cup pasta sauce. Repeat layers one more time. 
• Top with the final 4 slices of zucchini and any remaining pasta sauce (as much or little as you desire). Top with the remaining cheese. Sprinkle over basil and parsley. 
• Bake at 350°F for about 45 minutes or until cheese is bubbly and slightly brown. Let cool about 10-15 minutes before serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

GLUTEN FREE ITALIAN BREADSTICKS

Just saying – these go PERFECT with my Zucchini Lasagna. These are lightly and fluffy but still filling and as always, gluten free. These are actually made with non-soy flours and no dairy as well. My biggest suggestion with these is that you form them nicely, otherwise they can look like many things, some not so appealing. Either way they still taste great! Customize your toppings to what you like!

½ cup brown rice flour

½ cup amaranth flour

¾ cup potato starch

¾ cup tapioca starch

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp basil

1 pkt of active yeast

1 cup warm water

1 tsp sugar or honey

1 tsp white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

additional basil or other seasonings for topping

• In a small bowl, combine yeast, sugar and water. Whisk together and let sit for 5 minutes to let yeast activate. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine rice flour, amaranth flour, potato starch, tapioca starch, xanthan gum, salt and basil. Add in olive oil, vinegar and yeast mixture until and mix over medium-high speed for about 30 seconds or until dough ball forms. 
• Separate dough into small dough balls and form into bread sticks (I made about 8 medium sized breadsticks. The best trick to this is to have wet or lightly floured hands to help keep dough from sticking to you. 
• Lay breadsticks onto a greased baking sheet. Let rise in a warm place for about 20 minutes. Brush with olive oil and add any desired toppings (Salt, pepper, seasonings, cheese, etc) 
• Bake at 350°F for about 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Best if served immediately.

Apple Cinnamon Scones

Good Post Christmas Morning! I hope you all had a wonderful, blessed Christmas yesterday! I know we sure did! Now comes the fun part, putting together mountains of toys, finding a home for the old ones and picking up paper… lots and lots of paper! I’m going to need a good breakfast to do all of that! That’s why I’m giving you this recipe today! These simple, yet delicious scones are perfect! Apples and cinnamon just go together and when you add them to a scone it’s magical! They really don’t take too long to make and you could even start the dough the night before and bake the morning of serving. Makes 8 scones.

1 cup white rice flour

¼ cup coconut flour

¼ cup almond flour

½ cup tapioca starch

2 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

¼ cup coconut oil, softened

½ cup almond milk

1 egg

1 cup apple, finely chopped

1 Tbsp cinnamon

¼ cup coconut sugar

Glaze

1 Tbsp butter, melted (I used dairy free)

1 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp almond milk (more or less for desired consistency)

• In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients. Add in oil, milk, vanilla and egg. Blend over low speed until dough ball forms. Slowly add in apple pieces until well combined. 
• On a floured surface (or a counter with a layer of plastic wrap), form dough into a circle about 1” thick. Cut the circle into 8 pieces. 
• Place scones onto a greased baking sheet and bake at 325°F for about 20-25 minutes or until scones are lightly browned and cooked through. Let cool for about 10 minutes. 
• While scones are baking, combine glaze ingredients into a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth, adding more milk if a runnier glaze is desired. Drizzle glaze over cooled scones and serve.

Coconut Macaroons

Need a quick last minute cookie for Christmas??Try these! I found some delicious little treats at Whole Foods and I fell in love with them. They are called “Snacaroons” made by Laughing Giraffe. They are these little raw, vegan coconut mounds with various flavors. Whole Foods isn’t close but I found them online also. However, they are pretty pricey so I decided to try my own little version. Result = fantastic! These are just slightly baked so they have a nice little crunch but still a gooey texture inside. I made a variety of flavors with the same base ingredients and will probably experiment more. If you like coconut macaroons, you will love these gluten free, dairy free version (note, mine are not vegan as they do have egg whites)! This recipe makes about 24 small cookies

Base

12 oz of unsweetened coconut flakes (I like Bob’s Red Mill)

¼ cup coconut oil

1 Tbsp almond paste (or additional coconut oil)

1 egg white (you could use egg replacer with a little experimentation)

¼ cup almond milk or coconut milk

1 tsp sea salt

¼ cup raw coconut sugar (regular sugar will work)

Mix ingredients together in a large mixing bowl until well blended. This will be your base. To make plain macaroons, form mixture into small cookies using a scoop and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Watch closely to make sure the coconut does not burn. Drizzle with melted chocolate if desired.

Here are a few variations I’ve tried to so far:

Amaretto Cherry

1/3 of the base mixture

¼ cup cherries, finely chopped

1 tsp Amaretto liquor (you can omit this if desired)

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Pumpkin Pie

¼ cup pumpkin puree

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/3 of the base mixture

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Caramel

2 Tbsp caramel sauce (homemade or store bought)

1 tsp maple syrup

1/3 of the base mixture

Mix together and bake according to base directions.

Other variations: Cranberry Orange – add in 1 tsp orange zest, 1 tsp minced cranberries, 1 tsp orange juice to 2 cups of the base mixture. Caramel Bailey’s – add in 1 tsp of Bailey’s liqueur to the caramel version. Peanut Butter – add 2 tsp peanut butter or almond butter to the base mixture. 

Menu Plan Monday - week of 12/22/13-12/28/13

Oh boy--- 2 days until Christmas!?! We are so ready! Presents are wrapped, house is cleaned, goodies have been made... now comes the waiting... impatiently. I might be worse than the kids! On Christmas morning, I will likely be awake at 4 or 5 am... laying in bed until I hear my son rustling around. Or if I'm sneaky enough, I can quietly wake him up before my husband finds out. Apparently, it's weird if you wake up before the kids - just ask him.

"Is it Christmas yet?!"

Here's this week's meal plan. Notice Christmas Day is a little crazy. I plan on eating junk. So it may be a healthier version of junk but still not our usual treats! Lots of GF cookies, candies, cakes, etc. We are having brunch at our house and that will include some scones, cinnamon rolls, etc. Make sure you check out what the other bloggers have lined up this week at OrgJunkie.com's host site for this week's Menu Plan Monday. I'm sure they have lots of great meals, tips,etc for you!

22	23	24	25	26	27	28
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
cinnamon	egg	banana	CHRISTMAS	cranberry	scrm egg	french
rolls	muffin	smoothie	BRUNCH	scones	apple/milk	toast
fruit	banana	toast	(pancakes)	banana	smoothie	banana
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
spaghetti	shrimp	kale	ham	chicken	veggie	mixed
squash w/ olives	veggie	salad	potatoes	lettuce	baked	veggie
garlic bread	rice	fruit	lots of food!	wraps	potatoes	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
bean/corn	baked	stuffed	leftovers	bean	KIDS	turkey
nachos	chicken	acorn	cookies	soup	CHOICE	taco
salad	spaghetti sq.	squash	splurge!	cornbread	(pizza)	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
graham crackers	carrots	cheese	all	carrots	PB celery	veggies
oranges	celery	grapes	kinds of	apple	trailmix	trailmix
cookie	trailmix	popcorn	goodies!	yogurt	fruit	GF granola

Chocolate Caramel Dipped Graham Crackers

I am not a huge fan of sugar cookies. They are a LOT of work and I haven’t been able to create a GF recipe that works. Plus I don’t like icing (I know weird). I do love graham crackers though! They too are some work BUT they are very good homemade! This year I decided to do a different take on a cookie cutout and use my graham cracker recipe. I made some homemade caramel sauce (SO good!) and some chocolate sauce to dip the crackers in. They are so delicious! Sprinkle on a little sea salt for even more flavor!

Graham Crackers – see my recipe for GF version here! (cut into shapes or just squares)

Caramel Sauce

1 Tbsp butter (I use Earth Balance DF)

½ cup sugar (I like the dark coconut sugar)

1 tsp almond milk

Chocolate Sauce

2 squares of chocolate baking squares (I used unsweetened natural chocolate)

1 Tbsp honey (if you are using sweetened chocolate, you can leave this out)

1 Tbsp almond milk

•  In a sauce pan, combine caramel sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until sugar is dissolved. 
• Quickly (and carefully) dip graham crackers into caramel sauce. I find the best way to do this is to use tongs or forks. Place dipped crackers onto a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper. Let chill for about 30 minutes. 
• In a sauce pan, combine chocolate sauce ingredients. Bring to a boil stirring constantly until chocolate is melted. Dip caramel coated crackers into chocolate sauce (or you could drizzle the chocolate over the top). 
• Return dipped crackers onto lined baking sheet and let chill for about 20 minutes. Store in a sealed container. 
• NOTE: This caramel sauce is also great over ice cream or for whatever you would use caramel sauce for!

Peanut Butter Popcorn Mix

Think of this like Chex Mix – popcorn style, drowned in peanut butter. It’s fantastic. This would make a perfect homemade holiday treat to give a loved one or neighbor. Throw it in a cutesy container, slap on a bow and you’ve got yourself a wonderful, tasty, thoughtful gift! Makes about 5 cups of mix

3 cups popped plain popcorn

1 cup rice cereal (like Chex - any flavor will work)

¼ cup chopped nuts (I used almonds)

½ cup oats, toasted (heat them in a greased skillet)

½ cup coconut flakes, toasted (heat them in a greased skillet)

1 cup all natural peanut butter (other nut or seed butters will work also)

¼ cup honey

¼ cup sugar or stevia

½ cup butter or coconut oil

• In a large saucepan, melt peanut butter, honey, sugar and butter/oil until melted and smooth. 
• In a large mixing bowl, combine popcorn, cereal, nuts, oats and coconut flakes. 
• Drizzle peanut butter mixture over popcorn mix and stir until mix is coated with peanut butter sauce. 
• Spread evenly over a large baking sheet lined with parchment paper. 
• Bake at 250°F for about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let set for about an hour. Break apart and put into sealed containers. 

Peanut Butter Cupcakes with Peanut & Chocolate Sauce

This evening my husband wanted peanut butter something. So I was going to make a cookie and my son pipes up with I want a peanut butter and jelly cookie! It then evolved into a peanut butter chocolate cupcake; so you can thank them for this creation. I was so impressed with the flavor and texture of the cupcake. It is very moist and airy tasting; not at all dense like some gluten free baked goods can taste. The sauce however was supposed to be a frosting so I did have an epic fail moment there. Oh well – it tastes wonderful! Be on the lookout for a peanut butter and jelly cookie something or other though – that sounds like I challenge I’m ready to try! This makes 9 cupcakes

½ cup sweet sorghum flour

½ cup brown rice flour

¼ cup almond flour

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

1 tsp xanthan gum

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup almond milk

¼ cup applesauce

¼ cup peanut butter, creamy (almond butter would work also)

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Sauce

¼ cup carob chips or chocolate chips

1 Tbsp almond milk

Peanut Sauce

¼ cup peanut putter

½ cup peanut butter powder (PB2)

¼ cup tapioca starch

½ cup powdered sugar or coconut sugar

½ cup almond milk

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, starch, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add in milk, applesauce, peanut butter, egg and vanilla. Blend over medium speed for about 1 minute or until ingredients are well combined. 
• Pour batter into greased muffin tins (or tins lined with baking cups). Bake at 350°F for about 20-25 minutes or until cupcakes are baked through. Let cool about 10 minutes. 
• While cupcakes are baking, combine ingredients for chocolate sauce in a glass bowl. Microwave for about 30 seconds or until chips are melted. Stir to blend sauce. 
• In a separate mixing bowl, combine peanut sauce ingredients and blend over medium speed for about 3 minutes or until well combined. 
• Drizzle peanut sauce over cooled cupcakes. Top with drizzled chocolate sauce. 

Never Fail Pie Crust & Banana Coconut Cream Pie

I’ve mentioned before that my mom is an awesome cook – like the best I know! She has a pie crust called “Never Fail Pie Crust” that she uses for all her pies (of course my favorite being her pumpkin pie). It is awesome – flaky, buttery, crisp. This is my attempt at her pie crust with gluten free flours. It doesn’t hold a candle to hers but it will work for me! This recipe makes about 2 pie crusts.

2 cups GF all-purpose flour (I used a mix of sweet sorghum, white rice and tapioca starch)

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp Stevia or sugar

¾ cup butter or shortening, cold (I used dairy free butter)

¼ cup lukewarm water

1 egg, divided in half (save the other half for an egg wash to brush over the pie tops)

½ tsp vinegar

• In a mixing bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, stevia, baking powder and butter. Blend until mixture is slightly crumbly. 
• Add in water, egg and vinegar and blend until ingredients are well combined. Pour dough mixture onto a clean, floured surface. 
• Split into two equal portions and roll each portion out as desired. 
• NOTE: This also freezes well. After rolling, place parchment paper over crust and roll crust up. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze up to two months. To use after freezing, just thaw at room temperature or in refrigerator. This crust is good for pies, cobblers, pot pies, etc.

BANANA COCONUT CREAM PIE

My father’s favorite pie is Coconut Cream. Over the last couple years, his health has declined rapidly. He has grown up eating junk and refuses to change his habits. His typical Coconut Cream Pie was loaded with sugar, fat, carbs, etc. Little does he know that I’ve greatly modified my coconut masterpiece into a low carb, low fat, low sugar, gluten free treat! For Thanksgiving this year I decided to add a little twist to it and add some bananas. It turned out great and gave the pie extra flavor! This makes one regular pie.

1 pre-baked GF pie crust (recipe above)

1 overripe bananas

1 cup almond milk

1 cup coconut milk

3 Tbsp arrowroot starch

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp sea salt

¼ cup coconut flakes, unsweetened

½ cup whipped topping (for dairy free, use coconut cream)

1 Tbsp coconut flakes, toasted

• In a small blender, combine ½ banana and almond milk and blend until smooth. Pour mixture into a sauce pan over medium heat. In the blender, mix together arrowroot starch and coconut milk until smooth. Add in vanilla, salt and starch mixture to banana mix. 
• Bring to boiling and cook for about 5 minutes until mixture starts to thicken. Remove from heat and continue stirring for about 5 minutes. Let pudding set up for a few minutes. 
• Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining banana half and place slices in a single layer along the bottom of the prebaked pie crust. Pour on pudding mixture. 
• Refrigerate for about 2 hours or until pie is set. Top with whipped cream and sprinkle on toasted coconut flakes. 

Holiday Cookie Lists

It’s that time when everyone is on a baking frenzy and throwing together every kind of holiday cookie they can think of. Or maybe that’s just me? : ) Either way, here’s a list of my holiday cookie recipes to give you a few ideas to try. All of these are gluten free but can be easily substituted with regular flour. Each one should have a link to the original recipe. We will be baking a TON of these and maybe even some new recipes to give as gifts to family, loved ones, neighbors and even strangers! I’m always up for a new challenge or recipe ideas so if you have any you’d like to see, send them my way! Happy holiday baking!!

Molasses Almond Butter Cookies

Maple Pecan Cookies

Cookies

Gingerbread Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

Maple Pecan Cookies

Molasses Almond Butter Cookies

Candy

Lavender-Lemon Chocolate Truffles

Mint-Hazelnut Chocolates

Cinnamon Orange Candied Pecans

Baked Goods

Hello Dolly Bars

Homemade Twix Bars

Peanut Butter Cookie Bars

Cranberry Currant Persimmon Bars

Mini Banana Mango Bread Loaves

Gingerbread Cookies

Lemon Lavender Truffles

Cinnamon Orange Candied Pecans

Gingerbread Pancakes

Wouldn’t these be perfect for Christmas morning?? You bet they would! My kids loved helping making them and loved eating them even more. We have so many cookie cutters that we use maybe once a year. This idea gave us two uses this year – ha! You have to use metal cookie cutters, or at least ones that won’t melt on the griddle. Be sure to spray them with cooking spray so the batter doesn’t stick. Makes about 8-10 servings

1 ½ cup GF all purpose flour

3/4 cup almond milk

½ cup coffee, strong brewed

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

½ tsp allspice

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp xanthan gum

1 tsp baking powder

1 egg

• In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients. Blend over medium speed for about 30 seconds or until well combined. If batter is too runny, add in additional flour or if it is too dry, add in additional milk – consistency will depend on the GF flour blends used. 
• Place greased cookie cutters onto a hot griddle. Slowly pour batter into cutters and cook first side about 10 minutes. Flip pancakes and cutters and cook on the other side for about 5 minutes. 
• Carefully remove pancakes from cookie cutters (they will be hot!). Serve with maple syrup or powdered sugar. 

Meal Plan Monday - week of 12/15/13-12/21/13

Happy Monday All!

Just over a week until Christmas!!! Are you ready?! We are slowly getting there! This week we will be starting our holiday goodie baking and prep! We've finished the grocery shopping we could so we'd be able to avoid some crowds (hopefully!). Now we just have to make everything! We are in full swing of our 12 Days of Giving. It's proven to be a lot of work but worth it! We will be going to the homeless shelter, library, fire dept, etc to deliver our goodies! Here is this week's menu plan. Be sure to check out www.orgjunkie.com for some organizing tips! Here's a link to all the other menu plan's hosted on their site.

Potato Hash and Eggs

Have a great week!

15	16	17	18	19	20	21
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast	Breakfast
french	egg	maple	PB/banana	potato hash	poached egg	currant
toast	toast	oatmeall	toast	toast	toast	scones
fruit	banana	apple	egg	egg	apple	fruit
tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea	tea
Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch	Lunch
bean sprout	salad w/	lettuce wraps	salad w/	lettuce wraps	PB&J	veggies
& cucumber	beets	hummus	beans	quacamole	sandwich	stew
sandwich	crackers	carrots	fruit	crackers	carrots	hot rolls
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner	Dinner
turkey	shrimp	turkey	leftovers	baked	KIDS	chicken
meatballs	stirfry	chili	chili/rice	chicken	CHOICE	parmesan
mac & cheese	rice	cornbread	salad	potatoes	tacos	salad
water	water	water	water	water	water	water
Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack	Snack
smoothie	fruit	smoothie	cheese	trailmix	nuts	cheese
veggies	nuts	trailmix	veggies	fruit	veggies	almonds
cupcakes	milk shake	fruit nachos	cookies	frozen yogurt	smores	brownies