Treats for Holiday Giving

Ginger Pear Jam courtesy of the Vegetarian Times.

bone machine

http://www.myspace.com/bonemachinesound

and then there was music

bone machine

Keep an ear out.

This Tart Takes the Cake (by Gluten Free Storm)

An apple recipe, as promised.  I have never made my own crust before. You will NEED a food processor for the crust and filling portions of this recipe.

I really felt quite proud of this one. I am including my personal Gluten Free flour blend that I use for most recipes. I don't like buying the pre-mixed package.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Apple Cream Cheese Tart

CRUST Ingredients
1 cup gluten free flour blend (add 3/4 tsp. xanthan gum if not in mix)
  *1/2 cup brown rice flour
  *1/3 cup sweet sorghum flour
  *1/3 cup tapioca flour
  *1/3 cup almond four
  *1 cup powdered sugar
  *20 gluten free gingersnap cookies (I used Mi-Del  brand)
  *1/2 cup COLD unsalted butter, cut into small pieces.

FILLING Ingredients
  *1 8oz package of cream cheese
  *1/4 cup sugar
  *1 large egg
  *1 tsp vanilla

TOPPING Ingredients
  *1/4 cup sugar
  *2 tsp ground ginger
  *1 tsp "pumpkin pie spice"
  *1/2 tsp cinnamon
  *2 tsp candied ginger, finely chopped
  *4 cups Gala apples (about 4 apples) peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
  *1/2 cup sliced almonds

DIRECTIONS
 ** Preheat Oven to 400F

CRUST
  1. In a food processor pulse together gingersnaps, flour and powdered sugar until it reaches a flour-like consistency (no big cookie chunks!)
  2. Add the COLD butter pieces slowly and pulse until blended well.
  3. Press crust mixture, evenly, into a tart or pie pan (press into all the edges.)
  4. Cover with plastic wrap and toss in the fridge while making the filling.

FILLING
  1. With the food processor, blend together the cream cheese and sugar
  2. Add the egg and vanilla and blend until creamy, smooth.
  3. Evenly spread the filling evenly across the crust (hello rubber spatula!)
  4. Cover with wrap again and put the filled crust back in the fridge

TOPPING
  1. Mix sugar and spices in large bowl.
  2. Add apple slices and mix til apples are evenly coated
  3. Add candied ginger and mix till evenly dispersed
  4. Pour over the filled crust (I swear it will look pretty even if you don't make a pretty apple spiral... just pour it on there!)
  5. Sprinkle with sliced almonds
  6. Bake at 400F for 30-35 minutes
  7. Let stand 20 mins then put in fridge for 15.

SERVE IT UP!

Here is my all time fave gluten free blog:
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com/

Happy weekend!

Pb&j: it's NOT kid stuff

Alright! I saw at least 8 of you people on Facebook posting about the delicious PB&J you had for lunch the other day. THIS is the stuff that makes me happy. I'm all for embracing the inner kid... its good for us, for lots of reasons, but THIS is really GOOD for us, skin to bones, does-a-body-good, GOOD! (for wallets too!)

I will, however, ask you to skip the Skippy, Smuckers, and Wonder White... hear me out!

Here is my NEW classic PB&J recipe:

-Spelt Bread (though a form of sprouted wheat, lots of people with wheat/gluten allergies can tolerate Spelt aka ME) $4.59
-Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Peanut Butter (Salted please): $1.79
-Nature's Promise Organic Concord Grape Jelly (I'm talking NO High Fructose-Schmuctose): $2.29

$8.67 for more than 9 sandwiches!

The Facts
Calories 290 (!!)
Total fat 7.5g (!!!)
Carbs 45.5g (Balance people! Carb-counting sucks! It's LUNCH-get over it and have a salad for dinner)
Sugar 14g
Dietary Fiber 3g (yes!)
Protein 10.5g (This will naturally help your body breakdown and assimilate the carbs and sugar!!!!)

The break down:

2 slices of bread is 140 calories, 0.5 fat grams, 30 Carb grams, 2 grams fiber (whoo-hoo!), 2 grams sugar, and 6 protein grams.

Peanut Butter: Let's assume you put 1 table spoon of peanut butter on your sandwich (that's a fair amount for a good pb to j ratio... though I have been known to want to glue my mouth shut with pb and beg for soy milk). That's 100 calories, 7 fat grams, 3.5 Carb grams, 1 gram fiber (double whoo-hoo!), 1 gram sugar, and 4.5 protein grams.

Jelly time: Slap 1 table spoon of jelly on there (for balance's sake) That's 50 calories, ZERO fat grams, 12 Carb grams, 12 grams sugar, and 4% of your daily IRON!

So do it! Say hi to that kid in there and have a delicious and healthy lunch. Think of it this way: no one is gonna try and steal your lunch money when you bring a brown-bag-lunch!

Keeping Time in Keep sakes

A gift that came from Farewell Antiques in Tyngsboro, MA

I am loving it.

A Birthday: Let Them Eat Everything but Cake

I don't know when I decided it, but FOOD was to be the central focus of my birthday this year.

On my Birthday's Eve Ryan and I ate a delicious 7 tapas spread at Dali in Somerville.

Here are the highlights:

-Gambas al Ajillo | Garlic Shrimp 
-Vieiras al Azafrán | Scallops in Saffron Cream
-Alcachofas Salteadas | Sautéed Artichoke Hearts
-Queso de Cabra Montañes | Baked Goat Cheese w/Tomato & Basil  

Usually a gluten free girl, I threw caution (and concern of a major belly-ache) to the wind and ate at least one slice of bread with each dish. Well worth it. I blame their Red Sangria and the genuinely warm and gracious atmosphere.

We each had one desert item:
-Me: Tarta de Chocolates (Like I would get get anything other than chocolate!)
-Ryan: Lauren's Budin de Pan | Lauren's Bread Pudding w/Rum & Cherry Sauce 

It was a romantic and satisfying meal with no singing... it was perfection.


We followed up on the day of my birthday with a trip to visit friends in Tyngsboro, MA and pick some apples. Little did I know that my lovely friends Jebb and Suzanne were going to offer me bounty from their fantastic garden as well! Radishes, squash, tomatoes, corn, cucumbers, and a stunning bouquet of pale yellow and black sunflowers.

We apple-picked at Parlee Farms. I stuffed a peck ($17 for about 15 lbs) full of Honey Crisps, Macintoshes, Fortunes and Empires.

We fed some goats.
We watched some bunnies.
We pet some sheep.
We crowed with the roosters. 
We walked in the flowers.

Perfection... Again.


Recipes to come for apple crisp, apple tart, and carrot-apple muffins (ALL GLUTEN FREE).

I am STILL eating the benefits of a birthday well spent.

There was no cake... but it was one of the best birthdays yet.