What I've been up to and a few photos to prove it

Working on my feathers





A baby quilt for a sweet new baby boy!





Hanging out around the Marin Headlands



Making Pumpkin cupcakes



These were the best little pears ev-a!



Flowers from the loves of my life!



Black bean bread to go with the stew we had one cold night  (now it's hot again)



Cinnamon Rolls that were practically gone as soon as they came out of the oven

Summer eats!

What's on your kitchen table this summer?

Home grown apricots from Dad and Mom's tree!  Home made tapioca pudding, made from Almond milk!  It is way delish, and you can hardly tell it wasn't made with cows milk!



Lunchtime!



Dinner time!  Gluten free pasta with zucchini, peas and chicken!

Spread a little L O V E

I've been finishing up a couple of pretty new pillows!



 

Two, pretty pillows to spice up a couple corners of the house!

Pillows are such a fulfilling little project for me.  (No pun intended) Every now and again I like to take out an older pillow and throw in a new one to keep things freshened up.

Happy Monday!  It's HOT here! 

 

Made two batches of these over the weekend........

 

Shared a plate of pancakes with the family on Saturday morning....



Ate artichokes on Sunday....(and some other yummy things)  How was your weekend?

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone!  It's another beautiful day here.  Looking forward to spending lots of time outdoors this weekend!  Here is a delicious recipe for you to try.  I am going to make another batch and pack them in our picnic basket for Mother's Day!  (along with a few other yummies)  Don't forget to bring your mother some flowers or chocolate this Sunday!


Zucchini Bites

1 cup zucchini, grated
1 egg
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 cup cheese, grated
1/4 cup bread crumbs (I used one slice of gluten-free bread, and crumbled it up)
dash of sea salt
a few shakes of paprika

Preheat oven to 375F.

Yield:  12 mini muffin

Grate the zucchini and place on paper towel to squeeze out excess water.  This helps the zucchini bites to not be too gooey in the middle, when they come out of the oven.  Mix all ingredients together.  Spoon into greased muffin tins, and fill almost to the top.  I sprinkled a bit more cheddar cheese on top....you could sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top, as well.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool, eat and enjoy!  These are a great snack for your kids, or a fun appetizer, or snack!

 

Recipe adapted from The Curious Country Cook 

Sunbuttery goodness

Sunbutter cookies........these are SOOO GOOD, you have to try them!  They are kind of like peanut butter cookies, but better!  Sunflower seed butter is a good substitute for those with peanut allergies.  Very tasty, indeed.





 Sunbutter Cookies

1 cup sunbutter 
2 eggs
1/4 cup agave nectar
dash of sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract (make sure it is gluten-free)
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup Teff flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened 


Preheat oven to 350F. Place a sheet of parchment paper on baking sheet.
Mix all ingredients until batter is smooth.  Scoop spoonfuls of dough and roll into balls. Flatten on baking sheet. Sprinkle with organic sugar, and place a chocolate chip in the center of each cookie, if you like.  Bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes or until golden brown around the edges.  Remove promptly from oven and let cool.  Remove from baking sheet once the cookies have cooled and place on racks to cool.  Just in case you still have a few lingering cookies, they freeze very well.


 

Springtime Colors and a cookie recipe

Springtime Sugar Cookies

1/2 cup butter
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup tapioca flour
3/4 cup sorghum flour
3/4 cup almond meal flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/4 cup amaranth flour

Mix all ingredients together. Roll dough on plastic cutting board, dusting with lots of rice flour, so the flour will not stick to cutting board. Once the dough is rolled out smooth, place the dough on the plastic sheet in the freezer for approximately 5 minutes. Remove dough from freezer, and punch out your cookies with the cookie cutter shapes. Using spatula, carefully remove the cookies from the plastic sheet and place on baking sheet. I like to line my baking sheet with parchment paper, so the cookies do not burn. Bake in preheated oven at 345 Fahrenheit, until cookies are slightly golden. Do not over bake. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet. Once the cookies have completely cooled, remove from baking sheet and place on cooling rack. Feel free to frost your cookies, add sprinkles, decorate with pretty little edible flowers!

Whats for dinner?

You have to try these healthy fries! Absolutely easy, no fuss and delish!



We have been weaning ourselves from potatoes in our house......sweet potatoes and yams are so good, and a healthy alternative to potatoes. Simply peel, slice and toss into a gallon sized zip lock bag, pour in olive oil, paprika, a bit of sea salt, garlic powder, and whatever seasoning's you like.....zip up the bag....shake 'em.....and spread the slices onto a baking sheet. I like to put them on top of parchment paper, so they don't stick to my pan (easy clean up). Bake at 355 F. for about 40 minutes or until they start to get crisp!



They make a fun and yummy side dish to any meal!

Stwaaberries

It's the beginning of strawberry season. They are oh so delicious, and make for a tasty snack.....and they work quite well with these scones. I found this delicious recipe over on the beautiful Cannelle et Vanille blog. They are delish! Thank you Aran, for inspiring me to make these strawberry scones. We ate them all gone!

It's Fridaaaaayyyyy!!!

After school snacks that do not disappoint!



Healthy cupcakes? Yes, indeed! I was looking through my cookbooks the other day, and flipped to this page, in my awesome Blackbird Bakery cookbook! Hummingbird Cake! I made the cupcake version, and they are/were delicious! This gluten-free recipe is delicious, with pineapple, bananas, nuts, and the yummy cream cheese frosting! Click here, for details about Karen's book!

Green!!!!!!

.....and today's flavor is..........





Green smoothie recipe:

1 cup fresh pineapple, cubed
2 medium carrots, peeled
1/2 to one inch of fresh ginger, grated
1 cup shaved ice
1 cup kale, shredded into bite sized pieces
1 cup collard greens
1/2 lime, peel part of the skin if you don't want it too tangy



Get juicing, my friends!

Feels like Fall, and Pumpkin bread

Yesterday, a storm was brewing. The day before that, the wind blew like a mini hurricane! Today, the storm has past, and the sun is playing hide and seek behind the clouds.





When the weather chills, I head to my kitchen to do some baking!



Pumpkin Bread sounds good!



Rising bread



All baked and ready to slice





Pumpkin Bread

2 eggs
1 package of yeast or 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1/8 cup sugar
3 tablespoons potato flour
3/4 cup rice flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup millet flour
1 tablespoon honey


Crumble topping:

1/4 cup almond meal
1/4 cup rice flour (you can add a bit less if the mixture is too dry)
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar

Mix all ingredients and set aside for later.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Mix all ingredients with mixer on medium speed, until blended. (no lumps in the dough). Cover and let dough rise for 2 hours. Transfer the dough to two greased and flour dusted loaf pans. Cover and let rise until the dough just about reaches the top of the pan. Once the dough has risen, you may sprinkle the crumble mixture on top of the loaves. Place in pre-heated oven and bake for 35-40 minutes or until done. (knife comes out clean from the center of the loaf). Once baked, remove from oven. Let the loaves completely cool before removing from the pans. When the loaves are ready and cooled, gently remove them from the pans and place on cooling racks. Let set for about an hour before slicing. Note: Pumpkin bread is moist, so it may take a few hours before the loaf slices without crumbling. This bread tastes delicious for up to two or three days. Make sure you cover it in a sealed container, so it does not spoil. You can freeze the slices if you like, and microwave them when you are ready to eat.