Healing Hillary

{recipe} :: berry cake

Is there anything sweeter than strawberries off the vine? We are loving our very first harvest!

In a culinary rut, I went to Apples for Jam and was inspired. Thus my rendition of a Berry Cake was born. 

Berry Cake :: a gluten-free, dairy-free, healthful cake

2 1/4 c. brown rice flour

1/4 c. organic corn starch

1 T. baking powder

1 t. xanthan gum

1/3 c. evaporated cane juice

fresh ground nutmeg

2 eggs

1 c. (minus 1 T.) unsweetened almond milk

1 T. unfiltered apple cider vinegar 

2 T. non-hydrogenated margarine (I use organic Earth Balance), melted

2. T. high heat coconut oil, melted

grated lemon zest from one lemon

Toppings...

1 c. or more of fresh berries (local, seasonal would be ideal)

2 T. raw sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix ingredients down to the toppings together until everything is nice and folded in. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan or glass dish. Enlist a child (or childish) helper to sprinkle the berries on top, followed by the raw sugar. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy in your favorite twirly skirt.

Yours in health,

Hillary

healing in the kitchen

I frequently get the question..."What do you eat?" We don't eat gluten or meat. And I am currently not eating dairy as it does not agree with baby. Anyone that knows me, knows that I eat, cook, prepare healing foods for my family and myself. I strive for nutrient dense foods and loving preparations. So here is a little run down of what kind of healing is going on in our kitchen this week. 

:: Tomato Risotto (x3 the recipe and froze some, minus dairy, +extra basil from our garden, used fresh pureed tomatoes instead of canned ones, recipe from Apples for Jam)

:: Many green salads from our garden/yarn (spinach, aragula, clover buds, dandelion leaves, a pinch of wood sorrel and some sugar peas).

:: Kombucha (am thrilled with how easy this is, and loving the range of B vitamins)

:: Sunbutter Cookies (a variation of my PB cookies...going for more nutritional density)

:: Feel-Better Pops (I made a lemon balm + chamomile medicinal tea mixed with orange juice for T's fever)

:: Eggs in a basket (a heart shaped basket, to be precise, using my *favorite* commercial Whole Grain-GF bread)

:: Potato and Cauliflower Burritos (from this month's Vegetarian Times, again roasted my own tomatoes instead of canned...see this for my aversion to canned tomatoes)

:: Oatstraw Herbal Infusion 

:: Elderberry Syrup

:: Vegetarian Sushi take-away (love the British term, makes more sense to me than "take-out")

:: A stargazer lily that opened up (thanks Liz!) and...

 :: Berry Cake...delicious! I plan to share the Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free recipe here on Monday.

 What kind of healing is going on in your kitchen?

Hillary

nursing mama's favorite cookie(s)

One of the little families from our school brought us *hot* peanut butter cookies along with dinner one day. Now mind you these cookies did not make it until after dinner. I ate one right away and declared another one (or two, maybe it was three) mine! I got the recipe and I think I have made these cookies every week, since then.

These are my *favorite* cookies now for many a reason. They don't contain wheat (any flour, amazing really) or dairy (baby C does not like it when I eat dairy, I mean really does not like it, urp). They are nice and fattening and filling (which this nursing mama needs) and they are easy! Without further ado...

:: This Nursing Mama's Favorite Cookies::

1 cup (overflowing) organic unsweetened, unsalted peanut butter (best if it is room temperature)

2/3 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

Mix together in a medium mixing bowl by fork or by hand. Scoop onto oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 12 minutes. 

Makes about 1 dozen cookies. 

 

Best served with a cup of Mother's Milk Tea or your tea of choice, of course (wink}.

Valentines :: Hibiscus Buttercream Frosting {recipe}

Never in a million bazillion years would I have thought that I would be posting on one of the last days of this pregnancy. Life is pretty funny, you know? 

Since I am very pregnant (on the eve of my due date), I have been doing all of our Valentine's crafting early. And this pregnant gal needed some cookies last week. Having aquired a darling vintage heart cookie cutter, I could not stand it any more and had to don my apron for some sweet sugar cookies, of the gluten-free variety, of course. 

Now, if you know me, you'll know I am picky when it comes to ingredients. I am a champion label reader and conscious eater. One big thing I truly try to steer my family clear of is food dye. I have mentioned on here before that for me it is about making the small choice to choose something better. That over the years, has evolved my diet gradually and in a way that is sustainable for me on a day to day basis. That notion of making it just a little better, a little healthier and a little prettier inspired me to make these yummy natural dye cookies. I used Hibiscus flowers to color this icing...

Hibiscus Infusion

I took probably 3 T. of dried hibiscus flowers (Think bulk section of herb shop/WFoods. I got mine from Mountain Rose Herbs). And let it seep in 8 oz of boiling water for probably 2 hours. 

Hibiscus Buttercream Frosting recipe:
1/4 c. softened butter
2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 T. hibiscus infusion
1-2 T. milk (or as needed to get desired consistency)

That makes enough icing for a batch of my Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies. 

Thanks to Mandy of bonafidemama and occasional blogger for Nashville Parenting Magazine, for prompting me to write this up for you today. 

Peace all around with yummy cookies too! Perhaps I'll be back after I birth this babe. Until then...love and Happy St. Valentine's.

 

GF Sweet Potato Biscuits {recipe}

After seeing 3191's photo of the stack of sweet potato biscuits...I couldn't help myself but embark on a gluten free sweet potato biscuit recipe of my own. It took quite a few tries (although strangely enough...no one here is complaining) to get them light and fluffy. 

Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Biscuits

Adapted from 3191’s adaptation of Martha Stewart’s recipe

1 ¾ c. cooked and pureed sweet potato*

2 c. rice flour

½ c. gluten-free cornstarch (organic or non-GMO)

1 t. xanthan gum

2 T. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1 t. salt

¼ t. paprika

1 T. apple cider vinegar

8 T. unsalted butter (chilled)

¼ c. milk

Stir the dry ingredients together. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse meal. Add apple cider vinegar (it will bubble a bit). Mix milk with sweet potato puree and add it to the other ingredients. Mix dough with hands (much more fun than a spoon) to incorporate.

Turn dough on a (rice) floured surface and knead a few times. Pat out to no less than ½ inch thickness. Cut biscuits with a biscuit-cutter or glass. We used a 2” biscuit cutter for nice bite sized biscuits.

Place on greased cookie sheet and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Place in preheated oven and cook until risen and slightly brown, about 12 minutes (longer for larger biscuits).

Serve warm.

*1-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, chopped and boiled until a fork goes in easily. Cooled and then pureed in a food processor. 

These little biscuits are such a treat. We have eaten them with just a pad of butter, with jam, and with a little slice of white cheddar cheese.

For the past few days T has kept one on the corner of the kitchen table (right next to the door outside) for her to enjoy throughout the day.

I haven't mentioned here our sweet potato success...but we dug up a LOT of sweet potatoes from our little garden...over 60 lbs. So I am loving finding creative ways to prepare them. I have a feeling that I will be making several more batches of biscuits for the freezer. I am thinking little batches of biscuits that I can pull out of the freezer, pop on a baking sheet and bake will do just perfectly. 

Onwards and forwards with sweet potato makings and bakings...
  In abundance,

Hillary

button cookies and recipe

Last winter I fell in love with Garden Mama's Button Cookies. However, being gluten-free presented an inability to follow, what I am sure is, her delicious recipe. 

So I recently, inspired by my button adventures, decided to start working on a gluten free sugar cookie recipe. I must say, these will work...and were fast off the plate (ahem, baking sheet) here.

T devised her own way to enjoy these cookies one little nibble at a time. We are enjoying this special treat with tea at "tea time" in our home. 

Hillary's Gluten-Free Sugar Cookies

2 1/4 c. rice flour

1/4 c. corn starch

2 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 c. unrefined sugar

1/2 c. margarine

1/2 c. butter

1 egg

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Mix dry ingredients in medium bowl. 

Cream together the margarine, butter and sugar with a standing mixer. Add the egg and vanilla. Mix these all together for 2-5 minutes. 

Add the dry ingredients. 

Chill the dough (1 hour in fridge or 20 minutes in freezer). Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Roll dough into 1/2 thickness and cut with fun cookie cutters. 

Bake on ungreased baking sheet for 12-15 minutes. 

How will you eat your button cookie?

Hillary

I'm a Southern girl.

Yes, mam...I was raised in the south, although my kitchen does not normally reflect it. My vegetarian and gluten-free ways do not lend to traditional southern fair...but hey, a girl can improvise. 

I was a bit nostalgic as I chopped up collard greens for our veg/GF southern meal. 

   

And when the corn bread came out of my grandmother's skillet my mouth started watering. 

   

The table was set with fixings...fresh tomatoes, real butter and of course iced (herbal) tea. 

Mmm, mmm...it was delicious down to every last morsel. 

My Dad's Cornbread (in his scientific terms)

Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a 12 inch cast iron skillet put enough corn oil to cover the bottom about three pennies deep.

Put the skillet in the 400 degree oven and leave it in there for enough time to get the oil to 400 degrees or thereabouts (20 minutes at 400)

In a bowl put some self-rising corn meal mix* (grapefruit sized amount).

Add two eggs.

Stir in enough buttermilk to make the mixture pretty loose.

Pour mixture into the hot oil in the skillet – it should sizzle.  If it doesn’t the oil was not hot enough.

Put skillet with mixture into 400 degree oven.

Typically takes about 40 minutes to get done but this depends a bit on the amount of cornmeal used.

When the cornbread is done just plop it out onto a cutting board upside down.

Wipe the skillet with a paper towel – never wash.

 

*I made my own self-rising cornmeal mix...1 T. baking powder, 1/2 t. salt, 1 c. cornmeal (minus 1 T.).

Thanks Dad for the recipe!

Enjoy y'all,

Hillary

 

my new love...sorbet

Watermelon sorbet to be more specific. I made it using this recipe...although next time, after consulting some of my experienced sorbet making friends, I will leave out the water. 

I also cooled the syrup to fridge temp before adding it to the sorbet. I didn't want to cook the watermelon. I wanted it to still be live and retain some nutrients. 

Staying cool,

Hillary 

Raw Birthday Cupcakes

Raw Strawberry Cupcakes

Adapted from this recipe using advise from this wise mama

Cake Base

3/4 c. soaked raw mejool dates, chopped

1 T. lemon juice

1 T. vanilla extract

Pinch of sea salt

1 c. raw almonds, ground

1 c. dried coconut

1/2 c. raw cashews, ground

Place dates in a food processor with a little water. Blend using the S blade until a smooth paste forms. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Whipped Cream

2 c. frozen strawberries

1 c. soaked raw cashews

1 c. fresh coconut milk (blend 1 part dried coconut with 3 parts water in a high speed blender)

1/8 c. raw local honey

1/8 c. maple syrup

2 T. lemon juice

1 vanilla bean

Pinch of sea salt

2/3 c. coconut oil, melted

Blend all ingredients except the coconut oil until smooth. Add coconut oil and blend until smooth. 

Assembly

Using silicone baking cups, add a layer of the cake base and a layer of the whipping cream top with fresh strawberries. Allow to set in fridge for at least one hour. Enjoy! 

For those of you who are scratching your head wondering what some of these items are and where to find them...all of these items were found at our local heath food store. :).

Hmmn, cupcakes are unattended in the fridge, might just have one...shhh! 

Yours in raw yumminess,

Hillary 

P.S. Come back tomorrow for a Celebratory Give-Away!

 

green smoothies

If you are around me much, see me on Twitter, follow me on Facebook or just generally hang out around me...you'll have already heard of my new love of green smoothies. 

You see it all started with a birthday present...a Blentec blender. This baby can blend anything! I have made green smoothies before with my Bosch blender, but the Blendtec just makes them so smoooooth! 

I have made lots of fun combos of smoothies...pineapple, spinach, gojis, sesame/hemp/sunflower seeds, coconut and a vanilla bean. Deliciously tropical! 

I heard about savory green smoothies...sounded like a good idea. So I made one with spinach, tomatoes, basil, pine nuts, avocado and garlic. It sort of threw me for a loop. I think it would have been better as a soup. I will not be making one of these again. 

However, I have been making my fruity raw smoothies daily and have felt amazing! I cannot begin to share with you how different I feel, energized, rested, patient, calm...not to mention that my skin looks radiant. 

So here are my green smoothie tips...

I am a bit hap-hazard and don't really follow recipes...but I can tell you what I add...
1. frozen fruit (berries, banana, mango, etc)
2. raw nuts/seeds (cashew, sunflower, sesame, chia, etc.)
3. greens (chard, kale, romaine, dandelion)
4. ice
5. 1-2 c. water

I have joined up with the Green Smoothie Challenge #3...the cut off is on Sunday. So if you want to join me, come on (she has some tips for those with regular blenders)! I am excited.

I'd love to hear any green smoothie ideas you have! Please share your favorites! Together we can all blend ;).

Yours in green goodness,

Hillary