Gluten free Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Walnut cookies

 Stuffed with walnuts and chocolate chips, they are perfect with a glass of milk.
These cookies are so good, you would never know that they are gluten free!

Preheat oven to 350

Wisk together
1 3/4 cup gluten free flour blend
¾ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthium gum

Cream together
1 cup coconut oil
¾ cup coconut sugar (or cane)
2 eggs (at room temp)
2tsp vanilla

Stir the flour mixture in to wet, add
1 cup chocolate chips
½ cup chopped walnuts
3 ½ cups gluten free oats

Shape dough in to 1-2 inch balls and flatten to ½ inch. Bake for 10-12 minutes until lightly browned.

Gluten free Pesto Veggie pizza

This amazing pizza is quick and easy, and adding herbs and cheese to the crust makes it extra delicious. The orange yams, green pesto and purple kale makes it a feast for the eyes.

A drizzle of balsamic reduction adds a little sweetness. Its very easy to make vegan, just make sure your pesto is dairy free (make your own!)

　
Pizza toppings
Pesto
Sun dried tomatoes
Purple kale
red onion
Yams (finely diced, about ¼ cup)
Red pepper
Garlic
Cheese (lactose free or soy if vegan)
Diced fresh herbs
balsamic reduction

1. Sauté yams and onion in a little oil until soft.

　
Crust

1tbs yeast
2 ½ tsp sugar
2/3 cup warm soy milk
1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend *
2tsp xanthan gum
¾ tsp salt
1tbs olive oil
                                                       2tsp cider vinegar

Or you can use a Premade mix such as Bobs Red Mill to save time.

Pre heat oven to 425

1.disove yeast and sugar in milk, let foam for 5 minutes
2. blend yeast mixture with all the other ingredients with a hand mixer , dough will be very soft.
3. Oil a no stick pan, or line with parchment paper, dust hands and surface and press dough in to pan, shape to desiredthickness and shape, form a ridge for a crust if you like.
4. Bake crust for 10 minutes before topping

5. Add toppings, drizzle with balsamic reduction

Makes one large thick crust pizza or 2 small thin crust.

Cookies and Cream Cheesecakes Recipe


Some times you just have to be bad, and indulge in something naughty, so these mini cheesecakes are ideal as they are creamy, delicious and just plain amazing and they are really easy. They are the perfect size for a party or bring to a potlatch. Swich out the chopped up oreos for other cookies or berries, and match the “crust” cookie to match.

I am making them for administrative professions day tomorrow, in honor of our wonderful receptionist!

Ingredients:
42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup sour cream
Pinch of salt


1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.

2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.

3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.

4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

Cranberry Almond Quinoa Salad

This super simple salad is crunchy and tangy and packed with protein, a great summer side dish.

2 cups cooked quinoa
4tbs fresh orange juice
1tso orange zest
3tbs olive oil
1clove garlic
1tsp chili flakes
1tsp fresh thyme
1tsp maple syrup Salt
Pepper
¼ cup cranberries
¼ cup toasted chopped almonds

Cook Quinoa as directed cool and fluff with a fork,
Wisk dressing ingredients together, adjust to taste, mix in cranberries and almonds

Serves 4

SMALL SPACE PATIO GARDENING!

Since it is Earth Day, it thought I would celebrate it by spending it in my garden!

Its still early in the year, but I got the garden started up about 3 weeks ago, and it is already looking awesome! I still have a few more things I want to plant, once the weather is warmer, like my peas and more delicate lettuces. My dream is to have a large sunny back yard garden plot, with veggies, berries and fruit trees, (pretty much exactly what my grandma has) and a compost bin. Alas I live in a one bedroom, third flour apartment and I have to make use of the space I have available. What I DO have is a a south east facing balcony that’s about 80 square feet, I am really lucky to have narrow wire railings with lots of space for the sun to get though, other wise all I could grow is mushrooms (to my boyfriends delight) the only downside other then the space is the high wind we can get, so I have to be very careful to stake plants and secure hanging baskets really well. I have tried to focus on just growing food this year, other the one pot of primulas, everything else can (and will) be eaten.


 BERRIES
For berries I am growing two varieties of dwarf blueberries, having the two different kind help to pollinated each other and produce more berries. Blueberries are an awesome patio plant, the are rewarding and some varieties leaves urn a reddish gold in the fall. Blueberries require soil that drains very well, but that keeps moisture consistently. Any soil mix that is acidic and contains a lot of organic material like peat moss Is best.
Blueberries are naturally hardy, but you should protect delicate roots during the winter by wrapping the container in blankets or bubble wrap. As long as the roots are protected, they should live through the winter just fine. ( I DIDN’T do this last winter and they were fine..) I tried growing raspberries last summer, but failed  miserably, I think I got one berry.

Last year I had 5 strawberry plants that kept us in almost constant berries, this year I have 13. My plan is to be eating them every day (unless someone gets there first!)

8 of my plants this year are new, they other five I completely neglected after last summer and didn’t winterize them at all, in December I tore off al the dead leaves, and in February I started watering them, and they have miraculously come back to life! I don’t know what variety they are as I bought them at a garage sale


 HERBS
Having fresh herbs right out side of your kitchen is one of my favorites things, so my herb garden is mostly hardy perennial cooking herbs. The great thing about them is that they don’t need to much care, and if you forget about them during our BC winter, they don’t get to upset. The essential oils, that give herbs their flavor and aroma, and are produced in the largest quantity when they receive plenty of light, most herb varieties require at least 6 hours of sun per day.

Since rosemary likes it on the dry side, it wont die the moment you forget to water it. I just bought a huge pot of rosemary at the western speedway swap meet for $15 and it s just beautiful.

Oregano is a staple for a herb garden. I usually end up killing or using it all up by the end of the summer, so I got a new one this year and potted it with some fresh new potting soil.

Sage is an amazing herb for cooking poultry or fish, its is hardy and easy to grown although very slow growing and you will need to harvest lightly in the first year and it will be June the following year before you can start to fully harvest.
Thyme is delicious and easy to grow, I have a lemon variety, but there are so many kind to choose from.

Fresh parsley and cilantro are ideal if you want to make fresh salsa. Parsley is a great patio plant as it can take light frosts and remain healthy. Parsley is not overly particular about the soil it is grown in, nor does it need a lot of care. It will grow practically anywhere as long as the soil is not extremely wet. In fact, it will grow in full sun or partial shade, so as long as your spot isn't full shade, your parsley is likely to thrive. Just make sure not to over water.

VEGGIES

Sorrel is grown for its tangy, slightly-sour tasting arrow-shaped leaves. It is amazing in salads. This my first time growing it, and I just have one plant, so I let you know how it turns out!

Rainbow chard is similar to spinach but hardier and can last over several seasons with the proper care. The plant itself can grow 1 to 2 feet tall and likes a sunny spot.
Kale is great, as it grows well in not great conditions, I planed mine in march, then we had a rain, wind and hail storm two days after I planted them and now they are doing beautifully.

This year I am trying one cauliflower plant and one zucchini plant in the same container, I don’t know how much they will like being pot buddys, but I hope they get along.









Garden Markers!

Now that you have planted your garden, dont forget your plant markers! These are made from driftwood, then painted! Feel free to use stenciles or templates, or just go free form with pictures instead of words.

you will need:
Small peices of Driftwood
paint
stenciles or templates

MY WISH LIST!
I really really really want to do this….but I am not quite sure how to attach it to the outside wall of my apartment building. My other thought was to do it on the outside my railings, but I don’t think that my down stairs neighbor would like them draining on to her deck. I am going to mull it over and post something if I decide to do it!

I found these pictures on these sites.
http://greenupgrader.com/7556/diy-vertical-garden-with-reclaimed-gutters/
http://www.treehugger.com/slideshows/green-food/container-gardening-options-for-growing-in-small-spaces/

Gluten Free Pumpkin Muffins

As I have said before I looooooove muffins. And I love pumpkin, so these tasty treats are perfect for breakfast. I have adapted from the Joy Of Cooking, but subsisted a lot of the ingredients and
reduced the sugar. These really are best if made from real
sugar pumpkin, but a good quality canned variety works too. to make Vegan, just sub the eggs for you favortie fake egg.
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees, grease or line a 12 cup muffin pan.

1 ½ cups gluten free flour mix
1tsp backing soda
¼ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp guar gum
1tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon(or just use pumpkin pie spice)
1 tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg and cloves
1/3 soy milk (or nut milk)
1 tsp vannila
1/3 cup coconut oil (or butter or other oil)
¾ cup sugar (demera, cane, coconut or agave syrup)
2 eggs (or egg sub)
1 cup pumpkin (cooked or canned)
½ cup chopped pumkin seeds, nuts and raisins


　
Wisk dry ingredients togegether                                Combine milk and vanilla in a small bowl

 Beat oil and sugar in a large bowl, adding eggs one at a time. Slowly add in pumpkin and beat until blended.

.

Add flour mixture to wet in three parts alternating with milk mixture, stirring to combine with a spatula. Stir in seeds or nuts. Fill muffin cups ¾ cup full

Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes or untill a knife inserted in to muffin comes out clean, cool slightly then remove from pan.

Gluten Free Vegan Almond Butter Cookies

½ cup gluten free flour      

1 tbs ground flax

1/4 tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp salt

½ cup almond butter

3 tbs water

3 tbs maple syrup

¼ cup chocolate chips                                                                        

¼ cup chopped almonds

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

• Mix flax with water and Wisk until it gels slightly and then stir in wet ingredients.
• Stir dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients with dry ingredients until well combined
• Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spoon drop about 2 tbsp worth of cookie dough for each cookie. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.