Happy St. Patrick’s Day! And Kelly’s Brownies!
Top of the morning to y’all! 😀 I made the best brownies I’ve ever made or eaten since going gluten-free, sugar-free, and dairy-free! Seriously! They were so moist and fudgy, just how I like them! I used Kelly’s brownie recipe (which I’ve made lots of time before) but this time I used my homemade walnut butter (just walnuts and a touch of maple syrup ground together into a butter in my blend-tec blender) which had a different texture than my regular nut butters…more oily in a way but not separated or anything…just yummy! Anyway, I subbed walnut butter for the 1 c. of nut butter and I used Chocolate Liquid Stevia
I also added 2 T. of water and cooked it about 10 minutes longer. I didn’t add chocolate chips. They came out so good! When they first come out they will almost seem too fudgy but are perfect for eating with a fork. They even have a bit of that crackly top that I miss from boxed brownies. And then if you let them cool they are easy to pick up and eat and still fudgy! Add some mint as she suggests for St. Patrick’s Day brownies! Really, these are the best I have ever had!!! Thanks Kelly!
PS. These are pretty delicious for breakfast the next day…just sayin’. 😉
I’m Back! And Katie’s “Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing”!
Picture via Chocolate Covered Katie.
Hey y’all! I’m back. I bet you thought I would never blog again, did you? lol. I’ve been here the whole time…just have a lot going on my life…college and still a multitude of health issues I’m trying to work out. I’ve been following you’ll though! Wow! Seriously, you guys are amazing! I can’t stop saving and gawking at all your recipes out there and smiling when I get comments from you guys wondering how I’m doing and still liking the old recipes. Hopefully I’ll be able to start posting again more soon but in the mean time I just thought I would stop in and let you know I am alive and well. And tell you to head on over to Chocolate Covered Katie for her amazing “Crazy-Good Ranch Dressing” that I just tried. I’d take a picture for you, but currently I’m unable to transfer pictures from my camera to my computer…long story.
I made it exactly as directed except I used Better Than Bouillion; Vegetable Base (8 oz)
By the way, are you looking for bulk veganaise? This stuff is truly amazing. You can find it here.Vegenaise, Orig Dairy Free, 1 gal (pack of 4 )
Anyway, enjoy her recipe and hopefully I’ll be back with more for you soon!
Quick and Comforting Adzuki Bean Soup
I came up with this recipe when trying to come up with ideas on how to use Adzuki beans. I had never before used them and had only recently had heard of them. I thought though that SOS Kitchen Challenge was the perfect time to try them out! I could only find them canned, so that is what I used. I found this surprisingly quick to make and comforting because the miso creates a comforting texture. I did a quick search for ideas and this is what I came up with…So without further ado….
Comforting Adzuki Bean Soup
by Ari Anderson, based off this recipe
(Vegan, GF, Sugar-Free)
Ingredients:
- 2 c. boiling water
- 2 T. miso
- 1 t. veggie bouillon (I use Better than Boulion) or 1 bouillon
- 1 can of Adzuki Beans, rinsed and drained (or about 1-3/4 c. cooked beans)
- 1.5 frozen cauliflower blend (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower)
- 1 c. brown rice (pre-cooked)
- 1/2 c. fresh parsley (optional)
Directions:
- Add miso and vegetable bouillon to boiling water.
- Stir until dissolved.
- Add beans and let beans absorb some of the flavor by cooking for about 10 minutes.
- Add frozen veggies, brown rice, and fresh parsley.
- Let cook until frozen veggies are cooked through.
- Serve. Season with salt and pepper if desired.
Makes 3-4 servings.
*Note: The second day it becomes closer to a stew because it thickens. It is very good either way.
BIG announcement
Hi there! I bet you thought I’d disappeared of the face of the planet (or maybe just the blog-o-sphere! I’ve just been rather busy as usual, plus I was making some major changes in my life and trying to make some decisions too. Sorry it’s been awhile.
It’s been about a month since I found out and been wanting to tell you my big announcement.
What’s the BIG announcement you ask? I am celiac. I have celiac sprue disease. It’s true. All my guesses that gluten is not good for my body were correct. Even though I’ve had 2 or 3 colonoscopies, an endoscopy, 2-3 blood tests, camera tests, etc…all saying “NO”, I found out that I do in fact have it. How? After years of going to doctor after doctor after doctor (this is no exaggeration), I finally got sick and tired of being sick and tired (no pun intended). I went to see a highly recommended naturopath and she diagnosed me with iridology. She also told me I have leaky gut and candida and am malnourished. She put me on digestive enzymes at every meal (this is something I will do for the rest of my life) because of the celiac. I’m also on probiotics, and some other things. She also told me to eat for my blood type—which is where some of the big changes have come in.
Would you guess? All my staples and favorites: bananas, yams/sweet potatoes, potatoes, tomatoes, coconut, oranges, tangerines, vinegar, pepper, gelatin, coconut oil, cashews, garbanzo beans…..and more! All of these are not allowed or good for my blood type. I can have them on rare occasions but most of the time, nadda. Following it has been tough but it has seemed to help. (I’ve especially had a hard time with subbing for coconut flour! Anyone know a way to sub? And how to sub for coconut milk? When you can’t have real cream either?)
Another big change? Since before I had only assumed that I was gluten intolerant and wasn’t even sure of that, I didn’t worry a bit about cross contamination. I was grinding my flours in a wheat grinder that I cleaned out (but it’s not possible to clean it all out of gluten entirely) to grind my gluten-free grains into flours. I was using the same toaster as my family and roommates. I was even eating standard oats. Gasp, I know! I was also not washing down the counter or table before eating or preparing. I wasn’t worrying about products like “Great Value” brand that say may contain: WHEAT (even in vegetables and spices—which by the way, I’m really annoyed about.) If it was in theory gluten-free to begin with, I thought I was ok. WRONG! So while I thought I was gluten-free, I really wasn’t. Add to that that I would cheat on occasion and sometimes for weeks on end…trying to figure out if that was really what was wrong with me.
And one more change: I now have a limited amount of dairy back in my life, at least temporarily. Mozzarella cheese, yogurt (especially Greek), and sour cream among a few other things (Ghee and ricotta—which I haven’t tried yet) are allowed for the blood type diet and she suggested I try eating them now that I know it’s probably gluten that was really bothering me. I’m still debating if I totally feel good with them or not but for the most part I seem ok with them. I love Greek yogurt having never had it before now too.
As for sugar? The blood type diet suggests you use it as a condiment. Ouch. I try to limit my sugar already (and use just unrefined) but this is pretty strong. So, I am working on that now too. And, actually I’ve been doing this for the last few weeks because I am trying to lose my sugar cravings by going sugar-free until Easter. This doesn’t mean that I’m not going to use a little sweetener in my muffins or anything now and again. It just means I’m not going to make dessert, cookies, treats, cake, etc (even sugar-free) till then so I can hopefully control my sugar addiction.
Oh and one more thing: I’m supposed to progress eventually to vegetarianism. About the only meat allowed is turkey or chicken. And some fish. And eventually most vegetarianism is supposed to be really good for me.
So how am I feeling? So much better. Almost immediately I started to feel better. My stomach liked me again and I just felt better. I think the blood type diet has helped too…that’s not to say on occasion I don’t have a little vinegar in something or don’t make anything with potato starch…I just try not too if I can avoid it.
I am still having a lot of fatigue and a few other issues so I’m not all the way there yet, but I am getting there. I will be back at my natropath soon to see what else I can do to get well.
So for the most part, I’m on my way back to health. I am feeling better thanks to lots of prayers and help from God. I’m so thankful that through His help I’ve found some answers and am on my road to recovery.
How did you find out you had allergies or celiac?
Stay tuned for some delicious recipes and an update on McKenna!
Shirley’s Giveaway!
Winner of Suite of Sweets for Sweethearts Final Giveaway–Allergy-Free Cookbooks Plus More
Check it out! Shirley’s doing an awesome giveway!
For your Valentine: Refined Sugar-Free Nutella and Chocolate Frosting on Cupcakes
I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I’ve been very busy! Besides working and taking a class for school online, I’ve been busy in the kitchen!
I’ve been testing recipes for Ricki of Diet, Dessert, and Dogs. She is creating a breakfast e-book: Top of the Morning: Breakfasts without Sugar, Gluten, Eggs or Dairy! Most of my pictures don’t turn out too great…so I only have one here that came out halfway decent! But that doesn’t mean her recipes are that way! No way! Some of my favorites have been the whole grain waffles (scroll down to see a picture with ice-cream a- top them!) I actually did try and make the ice-cream too but something went wrong in my freezer…and my ice-cream came out with a burnt-freezer taste! Definitely was my freezer and not the recipe though because I tasted it before and it tasted rich and creamy!
Ricki’s Fluffy Pancakes from her upcoming cookbook
Here are the fluffy pancakes from her e-book that I tried! And seriously, they were very fluffy! You can’t tell a whole lot from my poor photo, but they were. In fact, these are probably the best gluten-free pancakes I’ve ever had! (And not only that but they were sugar-free, dairy-free, and egg-free!…you couldn’t even tell!) I highly suggest her book! It’s got so many great breakfast recipes that are anti-candidia and just allergy in general friendly! (Disclosure: I do not have to recommend her book because I am testing recipes. I choose too because it is such a great book!)
Amy’s Perfect Bread…it rises high, looks beautiful, slices thin, tastes good, what more could you want?
Also, I made Amy’s Perfect Bread. And she’s right. It’s pretty close to perfect! It was probably the best gluten-free bread that I have made. I still haven’t found anything that I like as well as my store-bought Udi’s but if you’re going to make bread, this one would be a great one to try. I shared this with my friend who has celiac and her whole family enjoyed it (and they do not eat like us). Great work Amy!
The inside view of Amy’s Perfect Bread
Bird’s eye view close up of Kelly’s lasagna
I also made Kelly’s lasagna. Gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free. Say what? Yes, dairy-free lasagna. And that’s with no processed fake cheese, either. The cheese even had the right texture! It was so good, I think it is better than regular lasagna! Thanks Kelly!
Kelly’s lasagna—a slice for you!
Kelly’s Chocolate Cupcakes with her frosting turned mine
And finally, I made Kelly’s Mini Chocolate Cupcakes Kabobs only I made them over to be regular cupcakes and no kabobs. And I started with her frosting as a base from my frosting and added and added until I was happy with it.
I think that these would make a sweet Valentine’s treat! And what Valentine’s Day be without chocolate! Happy Valentine’s Day!
Doesn’t that frosting just look “real?”
Chocolate Protein-Rich Frosting or Hazelnut-Free Nutella
Based on this recipe by Kelly, with lots of my own changes
This frosting is very good. It’s smooth and delicious just like frosting is supposed to be. And there is no “floury/starchy” taste that you find in lots of sugar-free frostings. This is good right after being made but seems to even improve it’s texture and spreadability once it has been in the fridge overnight. You can change up the butters to fit your tastes/allergies/what’s in your pantry. This has a slight “peanut-like” taste even though it doesn’t contain peanuts… I find that that happens with cashew butter. It can also be used like Nutella and I love to spread it on rice cakes!
Ingredients:
1/2 c. cashew butter
1/4 c. almond butter
1/4 c. agave
pinch of salt
1 t. coconut flour (optional, I will probably omit next time as it gives it a texture—texture is gone though after being refrigerated for several hours)
1/4 c. + 2T almond milk
1/4 c. + 1 T. cocoa
1 t. vanilla
Directions: Mix the “butters’ together. Add salt and coconut flour and mix again. Add almond milk and cocoa and mix again. Pipe or spread onto cupcakes or other desserts or if using for Nutella, keep in a container in the fridge until needed.
Makes 1-1/4 c. which is way more than I needed for my cupcakes. Hence, the use on rice cakes!
*Note: For those who also would like to make Kelly’s mini cupcakes, I have two things to mention:
1. To make them into normal size cupcakes you need to bake them for about 30 minutes rather than 12. And you can use muffin liners since you’re not putting them on kabobs.
2. I loved these fresh or frozen. If frozen they are a little more like a brownie and fudgy in texture.
Please Help McKenna!
McKenna
(portrait provided by her family)
Dear Readers,
I’m interrupting my normal posting of recipes to share with you this story that is very true and very serious. This story is dear to my heart because I know her and her family personally and I know personally how hard health problems can be! McKenna and her family are dear friends of ours. She is only 12 years old and she and her family have been dealing with her health problems for years. It has gotten so bad lately that she has had three near-fatal seizures in the last 6 months! McKenna and her families only hope is to get a medical dog that would help her prevent these seizures. The dog is ready and trained for McKenna, the only thing that they are waiting on, is the money. It cost $10,000 (US) to get this dog. If there is any way that you can help, even donating a couple of dollars, please do so here under McKenna Vogt. If you let me know (in a comment or email), I will do my best to come up with something for you in return. I am thinking of making an e-book with recipes or something, but if you have better ideas, let me know. This is not a hoax. This is a true life story. Usually you hear these stories but do not know whether they are of actual people in need and you don’t know where your money goes to. You would know in this case. Please read the full story in McKenna’s mother’s exact words below:
Dear Friends and Family:
McKenna was diagnosed with Type 1 Juvenile Diabetes on October 15, 2007. After a stressful year of trying to regulate her blood sugars through a constant carb diet, and insulin shots, we were able to put her on a Diabetic Insulin Pump. We had great hopes that this would “normalize” her life somewhat and regulate her sugars. Since then we have found out that McKenna is very sensitive to insulin which makes it very difficult to regulate her blood sugars. We have watched her struggle through school work, spending mass amounts of time in the nurses office and trying to keep up with her sugars that make her so ill.
One year ago, McKenna was watching tv with her grandmother and her mother, when she fell over, unable to move. Her blood sugars had fallen so low that she was paralyzed. We had no idea that is was a type of seizure, nor the damage that those cause. We made adjustments worked closely with her doctor and did all that we could.
Recently, McKenna’s diabetes have caused some serious medical issues. With her insulin sensitivity, we have found that it is an exhausting process. We test her through the night, every two hours and then make adjustments. This past July while at Girls’ Camp, McKenna’s blood sugar fell too low, she had a horrible seizure and she couldn’t breathe. We were able to get her the help she needed and then we carried on with camp. We had no idea, she should go to the hospital. When we returned we went to the doctor and did all the necessary medical tests. In October, she had another seizure and was placed in the hospital. This time her blood sugars were too high and she went back into DKA (diabeticketoacidosis). She was very ill. They released her from the hospital, however we were not able to get her blood sugars down to the appropriate range and it took months to remove the ketones from her body. She missed 31 days of school. We then, under the direction of her Doctor, went through a battery of tests to try to figure out what is wrong with McKenna. So far, we still have no answers.
Three weeks ago, we woke McKenna up to get ready for school. We left the room and carried on about our business of getting ready. We felt very uncomfortable, anxious, like something was wrong. Tanya went in to check on McKenna who by then was completely paralyzed, lying on the floor, appearing as if she had had a stroke making a horrible sound because her mouth was paralyzed also. She couldn’t respond and we knew she was having a horrible seizure. We called 911, we gave her glucose and we waited for help, all the while holding our baby as she appeared to be slipping away from us. Her blood sugar had fallen dangerously low again causing another seizure that was almost fatal. They told us that once she was given the sugar, it would take 15 minutes to an hour and she would regain her memory and functions. The clocked ticked by and that just didn’t happen. She couldn’t remember her name, she didn’t know who we were, she didn’t know where she was, nor the date or time. Her brain was functioning right with her body. It was painful to watch. There was a communication error between her body and the messages being sent from her brain. We watched and waited. Then they ran a CAT Scan, a CSPINE and we waited. She was later admitted to the PICU at Cedar Crest. It took over 12 hours for all of her functions to come back and longer than that for her memory retention to work. Three major seizures in 6 months is a lot. We also are fully aware of the repercussions these episodes will have if we cannot get them to stop.
We know that it was a miracle that McKenna didn’t suffer brain damage. We know the doctors were surprised that she is functioning normally now. We know that her life was spared once again. We know that the Lord has a plan for her and already knows when she will return to Him. We know that she was His first and in the end if we have done our job right, she will be His again and only He gets to decide when that is. It is very humbling. In the meantime, we feel we need to do everything possible to help McKenna and to try to improve her quality of life.
They currently have Diabetic Service Dogs that can be trained to help people with uncontrolled diabetes. The dogs are trained specifically for the person that they will work for, so in this instance for McKenna. They take samples of her saliva when she is high and when she is low. They train the dog to recognize those scents. The dog will then wake McKenna up, or warn her when she is too low and when she is too high. The dog will go with her wherever she goes. Studies have shown that these dogs can detect blood sugar changes 1 hour before a continual glucose monitoring system can. The can detect the blood sugar change even if she is swimming in a pool and the dog is waiting by the side of the pool. The night time is what scares us the most. We sleep pretty light trying to listen for her, but we don’t always hear her. McKenna is afraid of the night times now. We are hoping the dog will help us during that time. We want to get her this dog. It is very expensive and so we need help raising the money to get the dog. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. If you would like to donate money for the dog please click on the following link and then click on the donate button, next to McKenna’s name.
http://www.pawsibilitiesunleashed.org/home/donations
We appreciate any sacrifice that can be made whether it is monetary or if you can include her in your prayers, or if you would be willing to forward this email on to your family and friends. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Love,
The Vogts
McKenna in the hospital, where she has been way to much in her short life!
(Photo provided by her parents.)
Please help McKenna. She needs all the help we can give her. I would give this girl everything I had if I could. She is one super strong girl and calm and peaceful about this whole situation. She has much to teach us all still in her life. She is a wonderful girl and has made a great impact on my life and many others already. If there is any amount, a dollar even, that you can donate, she and I would really appreciate it. Her family doesn’t have the finances to pay for this dog either and that is why we need your help. The dog is ready, we just need donations. Please share what you can and SPREAD the word with EVERYONE you know!
Again, the link for the donations is: http://www.pawsibilitiesunleashed.org/home/donations
Click on the link and then click “Donate’” next to McKenna Vogt’s name…it is at the bottom.
And again, I will come up with something in exchange for your donation if you like. I am hoping to figure out how to make an e-book or something like that. If you have any ideas, let me know.
Help McKenna!
With love, Ari
Single Serving Funnel Cake
Funnel cake topped with powdered coconut sugar.
Funnel Cake! When was the last time you had some of that? Or have you have you ever had it? It is very good. What is it? Similar to a doughnut, funnel cake is a batter that is “funneled” or poured through a funnel into hot oil. Once cooked, it is most often served with powdered sugar. (Although I have also seen it served with other toppings and even seen it served with ice cream on top!) I grew up loving this Pennsylvania Dutch food. We would only get it at the local fairs or amusement parks. Trust me, the picture, especially mine, doesn’t do them justice! You just have to try!
The other night my family made a bunch of these for them, homemade. I wanted one too since I haven’t had one in years but didn’t want to make too many! They taste best fresh. Besides, I didn’t need loads of funnel cakes leftover for me to eat.
Since I was making them for me, I wanted to make them as healthy as possible (if that’s even possible!). So, I used whole grain flours and fried them in the healthiest oil around! Coconut oil! Coconut oil is so good for you and added a great flavor to them. I found them to be savory if eaten plain and sweet if topped with powdered coconut sugar. I enjoyed them both ways.
Since I used so much healthy coconut oil in this recipe (and you can make this either sweet or savory, I decided to submit it to the SOS Kitchen Challenge for this month. Check it out and learn why coconut oil is so good for you!
PS. Please forgive my photography. My camera was on it’s last final breath and is now dead. Camera shopping (hopefully for a DSLR!) is on the list of things to do! Any suggestions?
Funnel Cakes (Single Serving)
Yields: One large or two small (Double, triple, etc. as needed)
Ingredients:
**2 T. egg (to do this whisk an egg together, measure out 2T, which is 1/2 egg)
5 T. almond milk (or other dairy or non-dairy milk)
7 T. flour (for GF, do as I did, 1/4 c. sorghum + 3 T. tapioca starch)
1/4 t. baking powder
1 t. agave nectar
pinch salt
1/8 t. xanthan gum
coconut oil—3/4 c. or enough to fill up at least an inch in your pan
Directions:
Whisk together the egg, almond milk, and agave. Add flour, baking powder, and xanthan gum. Mix. Scoop out coconut oil and start heating it in a skillet or deep fryer to about 375*F. Place thumb over bottom opening of funnel. Pour your batter in. (It helps to have some one help you do this.) Remove thumb and drop into hot oil using a circular motion to form spirals for each cake. Remove when golden brown (mine where a little over done, but still tasty.) While cake is still warm, sprinkle with ***powdered coconut sugar, serve plain, or top with ice-cream for a very decadent dessert.
**To make vegan, use 1 T. ground flaxseed mixed with 3 T. warm water. Measure out two tablespoons for use in the recipe and save other two for another use. Also, increase total baking powder to 1/2 t.
***I made mine by just whirling coconut sugar in my Blend-tec blender. For a little more detailed instructions, see Lexie’s post here.
Notes for mostly Ari: When I make this again, I want to increase the baking powder and see if it gets a little puffier! If you try this, let me know how it works. I’d start with 1/4 t. or less.
Blend-tec!
I just bought a new blend-tec blender! I’ve been wanting a professional blender (ie. Vita-mix or blend-tec for years…I’ve bought so many blenders that have died on me in the mean time, I’ve probably spent almost as much on them together as on this one.)
And it just arrived in the mail today! Isn’t it pretty?! So excited! I can’t wait to make tons of “green” smoothies and other things with it!
What are/What is your favorite recipe(s) using a Blend-tec or Vita-mix? To celebrate, link them up here! This is my first linkys so bear with me!
PS. Thank you for all the nice comments you sent in response to my last post. I’m still thinking about the name and such, but for now it’s just going to stay the way it is. Except, I did change the background/template. What do you think? I may still fool around with it some more, but I think it’s better than before.
Anyway, celebrate with me and post your favorite Vita-mix or Blend-tec recipes here! 🙂
<img border=”0″ src=”http://www.blenza.com/linkies/graphic.php?owner=kangachick&postid=24Jan2011″>
Questions for YOU my readers
Hello there—
I’m thinking of making some changes to my blog and I wanted to know what you, my readers, would think.
I am wondering if I should change the name of my blog. This would be the third time for me, as before, as some of you might remember, I had named it “Food Intolerances Cook” which is actually closer to the direction I think this blog has been going. I changed it to the Frugally Rich Life because that is how I love to live…and though I’m still learning, I do my best to live that way. But, I found that I don’t have a ton to share about this and I also find that writing about it bores me. What I love sharing is the recipes on this site and my love of cooking and occasionally my crafting too.
So, I have thought about changing the name and possibly the blog address of this blog to fit more of what I aim to share on this site. (Again, mainly recipes that are gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free although I may in the future if my diet changes, so will my recipes. But, just between you and me, I don’t think much will change. :))
I am passionate about cooking this way and I love to share what I learn and the recipes I create or modify.
My dilemma though is that most of you know me by “The Frugally Rich Life” and I don’t want to lose all of you either….but I don’t feel like the title for my blog or the blog address, fits either. I want you to know by looking at the title more of what I focus on.
I’m not sure what my new title should be (which would be the new blog address to most likely) but if you have any ideas, be sure to let me know.
I am also wanting to create more of professional atmosphere with this change. I’m always changing the blog theme and things around because I am never satisfied with how it looks. I am hoping to learn how to make things look more professional like some of my favorite friends in the blog-o-sphere’s sites such as Diet, Dessert, and Dogs, Simply Sugar and Gluten-Free, The Spunky Coconut, Lexie’s Kitchen, Z’s Cup of Tea, Delectably Free, and Elana’s Pantry, just to name a few. (Note: They are all linked to a recipe of theirs I am dying to try. 🙂 So, if you have tips for helping me in that area, or know how to make a header (like I attempted…but got two..the boring text one and the one I created), let me know.
Phew! That was a lot longer post than I intended. Anyways, here’s a recap of what I want to know:
1. Should I change the blog name and or address? Why?
2. Tips for helping to make the switch
3. Tips for making my blog more professional looking.
4. Thanks so much!
Ari
The Frugally Rich Life 