Heirlooms

"Beauty is but the sensible image of The Infinite." ~ Bancroft

Summer Heirloom Galette with Poppyseed Crust and Herb Dressing (gluten free) 

Crust: 

-1 Cup Almond flour

-3/4 Cup Brown rice flour

-tsp sea salt

-Tbs Poppyseeds

-1/2 tsp Stevia powder

-1 stick(8Tbs) Butter

-Ice cold water

In a bowl combine all the ingredients except butter and water, whisk. Cut butter into the mixture until crumbly. Add a little water until the dough comes together, it will be very soft. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least an hour. After it is chilled roll it into a circle about a 1/2 inch thick. The dough will be soft and somewhat crumbly. 

Filling:

-4 oz Cream cheese

-4 oz Goat cheese

- Assorted heirloom tomatoes

Cream the cheeses together and spread on the prepared crust. Layer tomatoes however you would like, you can fill it as full as you so please. :)Fold the crust's edges over the filling gently, only covering the surface partially. Bake at 350 until golden and cheese starts to bubble, about 45 min. 

Dressing: 

-1/4 Cup Lemon juice

1/2 Cup Olive oil

-Fresh, Basil, Thyme, Sage, Parsley, and Garlic

Salt and Pepper

Blend everything except the sage with an emulsion blender. Stir in torn pieces of sage at the end and season to taste. Drizzle over the baked and cooled galette. 

Have A Lovely Weekend... And Enjoy His Beauty In It's Every Form.

Peaches and Things

I was going to have an array of pictures, and food, and recipes for you tonight, but time got away from me. Instead I will tell you about my lunch. The lunch itself was somewhat uneventful, except for the fact that the peach I had (pictured above) was possibly the best one I have ever tasted. Something about those end of summer peaches...
What I really want to tell you about is where I work. It is an insurance office, maybe the least magical of places, but not to me.
The red brick building has been there forever with weathered photographs to prove it. Men with their hats pushed back on their heads pointing proudly to the hanging sign outside.
I work with four jewels of woman who have been with the company so long they must have popped right out of the womb and into their swivel chairs!
We sit at our computers and call across the room to each other in a jumble of recipe's, and "how are the kids doing?" The conversation dips into the spiritual every once in a while and effortlessly encourages.
The room we work in old and cozy. Gaudy curtains and worn wood welcome in memories I can almost see tumbling out the door when it's opened. A place where the sound of the typewriter sings louder than the hum of technology, and the grandfather clock chimes twelve so we can announce to each other what's for lunch and who wants to trade. Ruth turns up her nose at my grain free feast, and I at her saltine crackers, but we like it that way.
The mail slot clinks open to welcome postage.
The clock chimes again.
I eat my peaches in the warm musty air, and think to myself that there really are such things as time travel.

Pumpkin Times

I walked out the door to work the other morning and was only the slightest bit chilly. So naturally I thought of pumpkin. Ignoring the rules about waiting till fall is officially upon us, in a grand, messy affair, I made pumpkin everything as follows.

I began with a grain free pumpkin batter this is perfectly versatile. I made little muffins and loaves dressed with either savory sage cream cheese, or lavender maple.

This is homemade Pumpkin Applesauce. I think it's better still warm.

Pumpkin Applesauce

8 Apples (any kind depending on what flavor you are going for. I used Gala because they are so sweet and I can get away with using less sugar.)

11/2 cups of water

2 Tbs Lemon juice

1/4 cup Pure maple syrup

Cinnamon

Clove

Ginger - tsp of each

1 cup Cooked, and purred pumpkin

Core and dice the apples into medium chunks. I leave the skin on because it's better for you :)

Cover with the water and add the lemon juice. Boil until all the water is absorbed and the apples are tender enough to mash, about 11/2 to 2 hours. Puree with an immersion blender. Add the spices and pumpkin. Simmer for just a few more minutes to blend the flavors. I leave mine just slightly chunky and eat it warm on bread :)

This Way and That Pumpkin Bread (grain-free)

1 Stick organic butter

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Sucanut Sugar

1tsp Vanilla

1 1/2 cup Cooked and purred pumpkin

1/2 cup Almond milk

1 1/2 cups Almond flour

1/2 Brown rice flour

1tsp Sea salt

1tsp Cinnamon

1tsp Ginger



1tsp Nutmeg

1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

In an electric mixer, cream the butter, sucanut, and eggs for 5 min. Add the vanilla, pumpkin, and almond milk, mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients. Add to the mixer.

Bake at 350. The times will vary depending on what shape you make these in, the final product is dense and moist. Watch out for the tops of you cakes, they can burn pretty fast when you use almond flour.

To make the cream cheese I just whipped it with a little coconut milk and added the fresh sage or lavender.

Crepe's = Worship

I am reading a book called "Grace for the good girl" by Emily p. Freeman. In this book she talks about what worship really is, she says; "Worship isn't mustered up, it flows out. We breathe in air, we breathe out worship.... we create with words, and colors, and photos and food. All beautiful acts of worship."

We don't call it that though... we call that living, or doing. But when the Holy Spirit of God lives inside of you, what else can living be than worship itself? What would our lives look like if we lived as if living were worship? Would we be more full of peace and fulfillment? I think yes.

So today I worshiped. I worshiped in the way the honey caught the sunlight. I worshiped when the wind blew through the curtains to allow just enough light so I could snap the perfect picture. I especially worshiped when I took a huge messy bite of this crepe. Worship can be messy too. Don't try to perfect it, let it run down your chin, and honestly, who cares if in a moment of abandoned worship.... you stain the carpet. 

Simple Crepe's

1/2 cup oat flour

1 cup almond milk

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbs honey

pinch of sea salt

In a bowl, make a well in the middle of your flour and salt. Pour in all the rest of the ingredients and whisk until smooth. In a heated non-stick pan pour 1/4 cup of batter and swirl the pan in a circle motion, coating the bottom with a very thin layer of batter. The crepe will cook very fast, about a minute per. serve warm or chilled. For a savory crepe take out the honey and vanilla and replace with a tsp of cracked black pepper. 

About 30 crepes 

Different Kinds of Happy... or Pie.

There was a chance of thunderstorms today and I knew what that meant.... Apple Pie.

Anyone who has ever asked me knows that it's my favorite thing in the world to make, although since the start of my grain-free/gluten-free cooking days it's been a little discouraging to never get the flaky, buttery pie crust I so adore.... until now. I think I may have 1/2 found, 1/2 figured out the perfect grain-free crust. You really can't tell it's anything out of the ordinary at all! you have to try it. Granted, it's a bit more cakey than flaky, but it's the closest thing I have found to perfection. Weep and eat.

Perfect Grain-Free Pie Crust~

1 Cup Almond Flour

3/4 Cup Tapioca Flour ( you can also use Arrowroot Flour)

1tsp Xanthum Gum

1/4 Sea Salt

1 Tbs Honey

4 Tbs Butter

1 Egg

1/4 tsp Vanilla

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, breaking up the clumps. Make a well in the center, crack the egg into it along with the honey and vanilla. Mix together with a fork. If the dough is too dry, add some ice cold water. If it is too wet, add some more almond flour. the dough will be thick and slightly sticky so here's how to handle it. put down one sheet of wax paper and spoon the dough into the middle in a ball. Put another sheet of wax paper on top of that. Now roll the dough out in between the two sheets of paper just slightly so that you have a 6 inch circle. Keep the dough in the paper and wrap that in foil, chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 days. The dough is softer than most so you want it to be really cold before you work with it.

For filling I always just wing it.... one of my favorite ways though, is slicing the apples really thin and tossing them with lemon zest, lemon juice, pure maple syrup, xanthum gum, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves.

Bake the crust for 10 minutes at 350 before filling it, then about an hour after filled and with the top crust on. Almond flour browns very easily, and burns quickly so put foil over your pie. Take it off the last 15 minutes so it gets golden on the top, you can brush it with a little cream if you are allowed to have dairy.

With your extra pie crust (or just a new batch cause it's so easy to make!) roll little bits into balls, press down with your thumb and fill with jam... instant, lovely little cookies. They make me exceedingly happy.

We ate this pie while watching the movie Sweetland (an absolutely beautiful movie that makes me want pie every time, and you really want to watch it!), and listening to the thunder outside. There are different kinds of happy Sweetland tells us.... and I believe one of them is pie.

Grain Free Goodness!

Gluten-Free, Grain-Free Cherry Vanilla Granola

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 cup slivered almonds
• 2 cups unsweetened coconut
• 1 cup dried cherries
• 1/2 cup almond four
• 1/4 cup honey or agave syrup
• 20 drops of vanilla stevia syrup
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp sea salt

Combine the dry and wet ingredients in two seperate bowls, then toss together in one big one! spread in thin, even layers on several greased cookie sheets and bake until slighly crisp at 350. Let the granola cool completely before storing, it will get more crisp as it cools. 

About 10 cups

Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Brownies

• 5 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacoa)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup brown rice flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 cup rapandura sugar or coconut sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp bourbon vanilla

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Make a well in the center and crack both eggs into it. Beat with a fork for a few seconds.

In a saucepan, melt the chocolate and coconut oil. Pour into the dry ingredients along with vanilla.

Beat for a few minutes until the batter thikens and becomes glossy.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350

Serves 8