Lemon Blueberry Poundcake

   I can't recall eating poundcake during my pre- gluten free days.  Although I do remember my mom telling a story of when my brother baked a poundcake... and that it was a heck of a lot heavier than one pound!

   But have no fear.  This recipe yields the most amazing and foolproof poundcake ever.  {And it weighs the appropriate weight!}  

   Regardless of whether I've eaten the gluten-filled version, I am so happy that I have discovered poundcake now.  This recipe is knock-your-socks-off amazing.  Light.  Fluffy.  Bursting with bright lemon and moist blueberry.  Especially perfect for spring.  

   It is perfect for brunch, dessert, {lunch... dinner... midnight snack...}, friends and family.  It's also perfect for those crazy dairy free people in your life. 

   So what are you waiting for?  Get baking!  It's an incredibly easy recipe to whip up!  

Lemon Blueberry Poundcake  adapted from Gluten Free Easily

ingredients

   2 1/2 cups gf flour (I use this flour ratio)

   1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

   1 ¼ tsp sea salt
   1 tsp baking powder
   ¾ cup olive oil
   1 c - 1 1/2 cups sugar (depending on how sweet you like your cakes)

   2 Tbs orange juice or lemon juice
   2 Tbs lemon emulsion

   lemon zest (I zested one whole lemon)
   3 eggs
   2/3 cup full-fat coconut milk

   2 cups frozen or fresh blueberries

method

   1.   preheat oven to 350F

   2.   mix dry ingredients in medium bowl

   3.   in large bowl mix sugar, olive oil, lemon emulsion, orange or lemon juice, and zest

   4.   add eggs one by one into wet mixture then add milk and mix for 2 minutes.  add dry              ingredients and mix well.

   5.   fold in blueberries.

   6.  scrape batter into greased bundt pan, 2 bread loaf pans, or angel food cake pan (that's what I used).

   7.   bake for 50 - 60 minutes then cool fully and Enjoy!

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Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites

  Looking for an easy dinner side dish?  Or for breakfast?  Brunch?


 Look no further!

  These Roasted Rosemary Potato Bites are sooo yummy and easy to make.  Take five minutes to prepare them, then pop them in the oven for 45 minutes!  They're perfect alone or dipped in ketchup {mmmm ketchup how I love thee}


Ingredients
5-10 organic red potatoes chopped into bite size chunks (I chop enough to fill a 13x9 baking dish)
extra virgin olive oil
rosemary (fresh or dried)
thyme (fresh or dried)
sea salt
pepper
hot pepper flakes (optional)

Method
1.  Preheat oven to 425 F
2.  Place potato bites in 13x9 glass baking dish.  (Potatoes seem to stick less to glass dishes)
3.  Drizzle generously with EVOO and season generously with rosemary and thyme.  Sea salt and pepper to taste!
4.  Give a good stir to make sure potatoes are covered in yummy goodness and place in oven.
5.  Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring every 10 min so that potatoes don't stick too much to dish.
6.  Once they seem done, broil for a few minutes to get them nice and crispy!  Enjoy!  

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Banana Energy Muffins

  I think most would agree that traveling is quite tricky when one has to be gluten free or has any food sensitivities.  I hate not being able to cook in my own kitchen.  My own clean kitchen.  Stocked with all my favorite and safe ingredients.

  So I'm learning to plan ahead so I don't starve (or more importantly get cranky).

  I made these yummylicious banana energy muffins a few days before our great big Cali Road Trip.  

  I basically followed All Day I Dream About Food's recipe for Banana Flax Chocolate Chip Muffins.  (click link for exact recipe!)  The only things I changed was I measured a scant 1/4 cup sugar (and omitted the stevia) and used almond milk.

  These muffins were SO good!  They helped get me through the yucky hotel complimentary breakfasts for the first few days.  They froze well and survived multiple travel days within a cooler.  A perfect travel food.  

  The only problem?  They were so tasty they didn't last too long into the road trip...

I Ate A Bagel This Morning

and it was glorious!  

   I haven't had a bagel since I started limiting my gluten intake when I was a senior in college.  However, I really envied my husband who gets to eat one in the morning... toasted... with cream cheese... mmm!  So, yesterday I finally decided to try my hand at making my own homemade g-free bagels.  And let me tell you they won't disappoint you!


   I used Annalise Roberts' recipe for "Egg Bagels," which requires her special concoction of flour measurements.  

                                      1/3 part millet

                                      1/6 sorghum  

                                      1/6 cornstarch

                                      1/6 potato starch 

                                      1/6 tapioca starch

1)   Mix all dry ingredients together:

              2 & 3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs flour mixture

              2 Tbs sweet rice flour

              2 Tbs sugar

              2 tsp xanthan gum

              3/4 tsp salt

              1 Tbs yeast

2)   Then add the wet ingredients:

              2/3 cup plus 1 Tbs very warm water

              1 lightly whipped egg

              2 Tbs vegetable oil

3)   Mix bagel mixture on high speed for 3 minutes

4)   Liberally spread rice flour on working surface.  Drop sticky dough onto surface and roll into a ball (should be lightly covered in flour).  Divide into 8 equal parts, roll each into a ball then make a hole in the center forming it into a bagel shape.  

5)   Place bagel dough on greased cookie sheet and let rise for 1 hour to 1 & 1/2 hours underneath a light cloth.

6)   Preheat oven to 425 F.  Boil 8 cups water and 1 Tbs sugar in a large pot.

7)   Boil bagels for 2 minutes on each side then place on paper towel and dry before placing back onto greased cookie sheet.

8)   Brush tops of bagels with whipped egg whites.  Then sprinkle with flavorings of your choice (I used dehydrated onion, garlic salt, and cracked pepper).  Lightly spray bagels with baking spray.

Please excuse the sideways picture... computer refuses to flip it!

9)   Bake bagels for 10 minutes then lower oven temperature to 400 F and bake for 15 minutes more.

10)   Cool and enjoy!!!!

Mmmmm cream cheese bagel this morning for breakfast!!

   Who wants to join me for breakfast tomorrow morning?

Amazingly Simple Granola

Probably one of my biggest pet peeves about living a g-free lifestyle is breakfast.  How I watch with envy as my husband pops a bagel in the toaster and then spreads smooth cream cheese on top.  Sometimes this simple act is enough to turn me into a miserable grouch haha.

 Don’t get me wrong there are plenty of gluten free breakfast foods, but most of us don’t have time in the morning to make eggs and things like that.  My day usually starts with Chex cereal or a waffle smeared with peanut butter and jelly (amazing tip: make your favorite batch of pancakes or waffles, freeze them, then defrost in morning for a quick breakfast!).  However, I get lazy in the morning and alternating between those two food choices gets old preeeety fast!

I came up with a recipe for granola that  tastes great and is delicious for breakfast or a snack!  This exact granola recipe was a staple for Beau and I when we went hiking in the Northern Georgia Mountains a few weeks ago.  A perfect snack to eat after a long and sweaty day of hiking on the Appalachian Trail! 

My camera took this amazing picture of the Amicalola Waterfall
in Northern Georgia.  It's the largest waterfall in the Eastern U.S.

1)   Preheat oven to 300 F.

2)   Mix 2 cups old fashioned oats, 1 cup chopped nuts (I use walnuts), ½ cup small pumpkin seeds (or sunflower), ½ cup shredded coconut, and cinnamon to taste.

3)   Add 2 Tbsp vegetable oil and ½ cup agave syrup.  (My husband and I really like the taste of agave syrup and it is completely natural.  If you prefer, maple syrup or honey can be used instead).

4)   After a good mix, spread out mixture on 9x13 cookie sheet and bake between 25-35 minutes, stirring once.

5)   Once the granola is crispy and thoroughly baked, add in about ½ cup each dried fruit of your choice (I like raisins, craisins, and apple slices).  Let mixture cool completely before storing it!

Just a quick note: I haven’t been able to make it stick together in huge crunchy clumps (still working on that aspect…) but I sure have mastered the flavor and a nice mildly crunchy/ chewy texture that is sure to please anyone!

Crazy monkey man aka Beau climbing boulders along the Appalachian
Trail ascending Blood Mountain.

View from top of Blood Mountain... we LOVE the Blue Ridge Mts!

Yet again the crazy man creeping in our cabin... haha!

We stayed at the Blood Mountain Cabins in Blairsville, GA.  Literally
right next to the Appalachian Trail!  Loved our cozy little home!