Essential Grain Newsletter
Decemberrr Greetings!
One of the things I truly love about seasonal changes is getting to
experience all the hot and spicy dishes that you don’t want during the
hotter months of the year. Who doesn’t love a hearty bowl of stew on a
cold winter day? Bring on soup and hot rolls! Since we are at the
holiday time of the year when entertaining family and friends is so
frequent, I wanted to include a recipe that most everyone loves – but
doesn’t necessarily love to make. I’ve seen a lot of recipes for
‘grog’ over the years and thought, there’s got to be an easier way to
do this. And now there is! This is a simple one pot recipe without
lots of unnecessary steps, which is welcome with all the extra baking
and cooking this time of year. This can also be made with or without
alcohol, so everyone is covered. I truly encourage you to try this
recipe with goat milk. The creaminess that it imparts really gives the
impression of rich dairy cream, without all the extra fat and
calories. Think of it as a more traditional dessert – I’m sure your
guests (not to mention you and your family) will be impressed.
Easy Egg Nog (a.k.a. Zog Grog)
4 large eggs
1/3 cup Rapadura (or brown sugar)
4 cups goat milk (if using dairy, go for whole milk)
2 tbsp vanilla extract
½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
2 tbsp Rum or 1 tsp rum extract (you can go to 4 tbsp if you really
like Rum)
- In a large saucepan, beat eggs with Rapadura.
- Add milk and whisk to combine.
- Place on burner and heat on low until you reach a temperature of
160ºF, whisking thoroughly every minute. Depending on your stove top,
this will take 10-15 minutes.
- Once you’ve reached the correct temperature, remove from heat and
let cool 5 minutes.
- Add in vanilla extract, nutmeg and Rum whisking to combine.
- Pour into beverage container (preferably glass) and chill at least 4
hours.
- Enjoy plain, with more nutmeg on top, or even a dollop of whipped
cream!
Nite Nite Nanner
Yes, you heard me right. That’s what we call our late night snack
around here. Why banana’s you say?
Bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts
into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and
generally make you feel happier. This comes in particularly handy
during these SAD months. How’s that for a natural sleep aid? Also, the
vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can
affect your mood. Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize
the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's
water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby
reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help
of a high-potassium banana snack. Next time you’re craving a healthy
late night snack – think banana!
See you next month!
Essential Grain Newsletter
November Greetings!
With all the tasty munching that's about to occur, I wanted to add in a new twist on an old favorite. This simple revision on the classic apple pie is easier than it looks and fun to put together. You're still using a crust and peeled and sliced apples, but that sometimes tricky pie pan issue is only a memory. It also makes cutting and serving a breeze! A favorite around our house, hopefully soon to be at yours. Looking for something even more different? Try pears in place of the apples. On another seasonal note, you may have been hearing about vitamin D lately. I've pulled a nice blurb that helps to explain why. I can tell you that since we've been on it for a little over a month that we've noticed a few close calls that we thought would have done us in but we came though with no lasting effects. We still take raw garlic regularly, but activating all those fighting cells lets the garlic do its work more efficiently.
Rustic Apple Tart
5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced ¼” thick (or pears)
1 tbsp lemon juice
¼ cup flour
½ cup Rapadura
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
1 ¼ cup flour
3 tbsp Rapadura
¼ tsp salt (try kosher flake salt)
5 tbsp coconut oil (or butter)
¼ + cup water
- Mix the flour, salt and Rapadura together in a bowl.
- Cut in the coconut oil (or butter) until crumbly.
- Mix in the water until dough holds together. You may need to add
more to get the dough to hold together without crumbling apart.
- Turn dough out onto counter and knead a few times. Make a round,
flat disk out of the dough and place between two pieces of plastic
wrap. Roll out until you’ve gotten to the bottom edge and almost to
the side edges.
- Take the top plastic off the dough and place a piece of parchment
paper the same size onto the dough. This will make it easier to pick
up and put onto a cookie sheet, parchment paper side down. Remove
remaining plastic wrap from top of crust.
- Peel, core and slice apples. Place in bowl and add lemon juice and
toss to coat.
- Add flour, Rapadura and cinnamon and mix until all the apples are
coated.
- Place the whole apple mix onto the top of the crust and mound into a
flat, even pile leaving about 2” on all sides of exposed crust.
- This is the fun part! Using the parchment paper as a non-sticky
tool, press the crust up against the apple pile, fold up another piece
of the crust from under the parchment paper and press into the first
piece of dough and continue around in this fashion until you’ve
completed your tart. (refer to the picture if this sounded confusing).
- Bake in a preheated 375º degree oven for 30-40 minutes, until golden
and bubbly. Cool, slice and enjoy with frozen yogurt.
Vitamin D
A recent trip to the doctor for an annual exam came with the reminder to take a Vitamin D supplement from October through March, basically a 6 month stint. Granted, we're in Wisconsin which is notorious for being overcast regularly. Add in the daylight savings, or should I say Vitamin D reducing time change, and you can see the need for supplementing. I found this interesting blurb and thought it summed up nicely the science behind taking the supplement. I found it to be the most straight forward explanation, and pretty fascinating too!
Scientists at the University of Copenhagen have discovered that Vitamin D is crucial to activating our immune defenses and that without sufficient intake of the vitamin, the killer cells of the immune system - T cells - will not be able to react to and fight off serious infections in the body. In particular, it triggers and arms the body's T cells, the cells in the body that seek out and destroy any invading bacteria and viruses. For T cells to detect and kill foreign pathogens such as clumps of bacteria or viruses, the cells must first be 'triggered' into action and "transform" from inactive and harmless immune cells into killer cells that are primed to seek out and destroy all traces of invaders. The researchers found that the T cells rely on vitamin D in order activate and they would remain dormant, 'naïve' to the possibility of threat if vitamin D is lacking in the blood. Professor Carsten Geisler from the Department of International Health, Immunology and Microbiology, said: "When a T cell is exposed to a foreign pathogen, it extends a signaling device or 'antenna' known as a vitamin D receptor, with which it searches for vitamin D. This means that the T cell must have vitamin D or activation of the cell will cease. If the T cells cannot find enough vitamin D in the blood, they won't even begin to mobilize." The discovery, the scientists believe, provides much needed information about the immune system and will help them regulate the immune response.
Essential Grain Newsletter
October Salutations!
This newsletter is coming to you late in the month, but I think it’s worth the wait. I recently found a recipe for a gluten free French bread (or baguette) recipe. Well, two actually, and I needed to do some experimenting before I sent it off to all of you. The first was made with a 2-1 ratio of starch to flour. Although it was tasty, I wasn’t so crazy about all that starch from a nutritional/health standpoint. Its part of the kitchen philosophy in this house that even if its dessert, it needs to have some healthy aspect to it. So I did some more searching and came across several more recipes and started experimenting and was pleasantly surprised with the results. It’s best the first day, which isn’t a surprise as most breads are (even the gluten ones). It progressively gets a little more dry and stiff over the next few days, but that’s to be expected with any bread, especially the gluten free kind. After day two, I would recommend toasting or microwave warming (if it lasts that long).
This is where the other part of the experimenting came in. Normally you would need a French/baguette pan for this, and its still a good choice, but for those of you who don’t want to go shopping for this sometimes hard to find item I have another option. Use mini bread loaf pans! Two mini loaf pans stand in for one side of a baguette pan. So for this recipe you would need four, or just make half the recipe and use two. I did use one egg white for half the recipe and it turned out pretty darn close to the full three egg white version. I would also recommend purchasing a French/baguette pan that has no holes, which is better for GF breads. Otherwise the batter oozes right through the little holes too much and it can make quite a mess. If you have the one with holes, put some parchment paper or tin foil on your baking rack or you’ll be cleaning up the mess that I had to!
Gluten Free French Bread
Makes 2 loaves, 12 slices each at 70 calories/slice.
2 tbsp. dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1 tbsp. Rapadura (or regular sugar)
1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
½ cup potato starch (not flour)
¼ cup tapioca flour (or arrowroot)
2 tsp Guar gum
¼ cup non-fat dry milk powder
1¾ tsp salt
3 tbsp. coconut oil (or other of your choice)
3 large egg whites
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp of milk or egg for brushing (optional)
- Dissolve yeast and Rapadura (or sugar) in warm water. Set aside to
proof.
- In a separate large bowl, mix the flours, starches, guar gum, powdered
milk, and salt. Whisk together to combine.
- In a Pyrex measuring cup, melt coconut oil and let cool slightly. Add in
egg whites and vinegar and mix to combine.
- Next, mix the yeast into the flour, then add the contents from the Pyrex
cup and using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat on low speed for 2
minutes. You may need to add more water if the batter is too dry. Do this
a tablespoon at a time until your batter looks like butter cream or
spackle.
- Spoon into an oiled French/baguette pan or 4 mini bread loaf pans. If
you want a glossier top, brush with the optional milk or egg.
- Place immediately in to preheated 425º oven and bake for 30 minutes in a
baguette pan or 20 minutes in mini loaf pans, or until golden brown.
- Remove from pans and cool on wire rack. Wait at least 15 minutes before
cutting.
Since next month is right around the corner, I’ll see you soon!
Essential Grain Newsletter
It’s Almost Fall Greetings!
(a.k.a. middle of September)
This month's recipe is something you can have year round and especially
nice at the start of colder weather. Since it's best kept in the fridge
so it won't get moldy, its best warmed up.
Originally this was recipe was for a Marie Calendar’s-like
cornbread, and I modified it for gluten free flours. If you’re sensitive
to the oat flour, you could substitute sorghum or brown rice. The gluten
free texture also gets a bit stiffer after keeping it in the cold, so it’s
super tasty after a quick microwave heating with a little butter and maple
syrup. If you aren’t partial to blueberries, substitute another frozen,
thawed and drained fruit – or skip it all together. I’ve also got my take
on a gourmet salt that we have found to be very versatile. We’ve been
experimenting with making homemade Paneer, and it’s a lot easier than you
think. If you’ve got milk, lemon juice and some cheesecloth – you can make
it right now! Still working on the best consistency methods and that will
be in another newsletter.
Golden Cornbread
Makes 8 servings at around 181 calories, including all items listed.
5 oz. oat flour
5 oz. medium grade buckwheat flour
¾ cup corn meal
2 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp Rapadura
¾ tsp salt
1 ¼ cup milk
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
1 large egg
½ cup frozen, thawed, drained blueberries (optional, or change to
preferred fruit)
- Mix the flours, corn meal, baking powder, Rapadura and salt.
- Melt the coconut oil in a 2 cup Pyrex, and then add the milk and egg and
mix to combine.
- Add the wet mix to the dry and stir only until combined, do not over
mix.
- Fold in blueberries (if using).
- Grease a 9” cake pan with coconut oil and pour in mix – gently use spoon
to cover pan.
- Bake in a 400º oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Let cool 15 minutes, turn out of pan and enjoy!
Gourmet Salt
I’ve been meaning to try some gourmet salts for awhile, and finally
decided on a red salt that seemed as though it would go with just about
anything, as long as you were looking for that anything to be salty and
have a little crunch to it. On my last order from Mountain Rose Herbs I
picked up some of their Hawaiian Red Alaea salt. It comes from tidal pools
where natural evaporation has trapped it there with red volcanic clay.
This makes it very high in iron and supposedly it contains over 80
different naturally occurring minerals. Native Hawaiians have used it for
centuries for all sorts of ailments, and modern cooks are using it to
season everything from grilled foods to chocolate. We’ve been sprinkling
it on a hearty flat bread with a nice covering of Paneer, and the hubby
has especially been enjoying it on heirloom tomatos. So if you’re new to
the gourmet salt arena, try this one! It’s not the gourmet salt that will
overpower what you’re using it on, but will give you and unexpected and
pleasant extra salty crunch.
Essential Grain Newsletter
Mid August Greetings!
I think this month's recipe is a good reflection on the use of lentils with beef. You get a lot more bang for your buck, less fat and calories and an added boost of nutrition and fiber! This dish is good for lunches in the summer months, dinners in the winter when you want something hardier, and would make a great dish for watching those upcoming games.
I've been enjoying the weather and busy with summery things, so I'm going with the recipe for this month, plus a tip for last month's recipe.
I've been reading about a new grain similar to quinoa called Kaniwa, but have yet to try it. I hope to have more information on this ancient grain soon.
Scoop-able Chili
Makes 4 servings at around 300 calories, including all items listed.
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ bell pepper, chopped (optional)
1/3 medium onion, diced
½ lb. of ground bison (ground chuck can be substituted, try to get grass fed)
½ cup water
1 cup crushed tomato (diced tomato can be substituted)
2 tbsp. medium hot Chili powder
¼ cup uncooked lentil (brown or black)
½ cup cheese of your choice (we like Monterey Jack and Farmers)
4 handfuls of tortilla chips
lettuce - sour cream as toppings
- Cook the lentils and set aside. (for basic cooking instructions see my site)
- Brown the bison (or ground chuck) and drain.
- Add in the onion, garlic, bell pepper (if using) and celery and sauté for a minute.
- Add in the water, tomatoes and chili powder. Stir well.
- Bring to a nice simmer and cook 15-20 minutes, uncovered, until thick.
- Stir in lentils and heat thru.
- Place 4 large ramekins (or any ceramic dish large enough to hold 1 cup) into large toaster oven or under broiler and heat for a few minutes.
- Divide mix among the 4 ramekins and put the cheese on top evenly.
- Place back into large toaster oven or under broiler and heat until cheese is bubbly, usually 3-4 minutes depending on your appliance.
- Top with sour cream, lettuce and any other toppings you desire.
- Serve with tortilla chips for scooping and munching!
Last Month's Bread Recipe
The gluten free bread I featured last month is super tasty all by itself, but I read a post from a reader who jazzed it up with some sweetness. I tried my own version as well and have listed both for you here. Both of these recipe tune-ups are for after you've spread the dough out, but before rising.
Cinnamon Roll Flat Bread Style
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp coconut oil
1 tbsp agave or honey
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup pecans ground
ground cinnamon (as much as you like!)
- Melt the butter and coconut oil, add in agave or honey, let cool and add vanilla.
- Let it cool a bit more if its hot, then using a silicon basting brush, dip into mix and drizzle over bread until you've got it all on, then gently spread over dough.
- Sprinkle ground pecans evenly over dough and dash on as much cinnamon as you like. The more the better I say.
- Bake as usual.
Raisin Bread
2 tbsp powdered maple syrup
ground cinnamon
raisins (about 2-3 tbsp)
- Sprinkle the powdered maple syrup over the dough evenly.
- Try to evenly space out the raisins and give them a little push into the dough.
- I went for a lighter sprinkling of cinnamon with this version.
- Bake as usual.
See you next month!
Essential Grain Newsletter
Hello July!
I recently found an interesting gluten free bread. Unlike a lot of others that try to mimic the traditional 'loaf', this one stops trying to fight the natural low density of gluten free flours and makes a lovely lateral movement by working with the characteristics of these flours. It's like deconstructing the loaf and making the individual slices - so to speak. If you don't have Silpat or unbleached parchment paper, you may want to consider picking some up for this recipe as it makes it a whole lot easier. That said, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how tasty, fluffy and versatile it is. We've ate it plain, for sandwiches and toasted with jam or peanut butter. All very yummy!!!
Gluten Free Flat Bread/Wrap
Makes 12 servings at 99 calories.
1 cup brown rice flour
½ cup tapioca or arrowroot flour/starch
2 tbsp. Rapadura
2 tsp. guar gum
1 tbsp. yeast
½ tsp. salt
¾ cup water
1 tsp. cider vinegar
2 tbsp. coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)
2 eggs
- Mix all dry ingredients together until mixed well.
- Put ¾ cup water in microwave safe measuring cup and heat for 30 seconds. Add coconut oil and stir til dissolved. Add vinegar and egg and mix until combined.
- Add about 1/3 of the wet mix into the dry and use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer to blend together, then add the rest of the wet and mix on medium speed for 3 minutes. (don't skip this, it makes the end product fluffier)
- If you don't have Silpat or parchment paper, you may want to consider getting some for this. You can oil and use flour to dust a jelly roll pan, but using the other products will make this much more enjoyable. Using either Silpat (what I use) or parchment paper on a cookie sheet, spread the dough out to the edges to cover the entire area. For Silpat, this means to the orange part, for parchment as far as you can go!
- Leave to rise in a warm area for 30 minutes.
- Bake at 425° for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden brown on top.
- Let cool and cut into 12 slices, or whatever you fancy.
- This won't keep long on the counter during warm days, so after a day or so pop in the fridge (if there's any left). It won't be as flexible, but it makes great toast.
Where did I find the above?
Always happy to give credit where credit is due. I found this recipe on a blog called Gluten Free Gobsmacked at http://glutenfree.wordpress.com/. She mentions the book that it came from, and although I can't confirm it yet, it seems to be from The 125 Best Gluten-Free Recipes by Donna Washburn, Heather Butt.
What's with the two Search Boxes?
Anyone visiting the site recently may have noticed two search boxes. The old one is Goggle, which has never worked quite right. The new one is from Bing and it takes quite awhile for them to update with site information. When its up and running, it should make searching the site a breeze. Thanks for your patience!
See you next month!
Essential Grain Newsletter
Hello June!
Essential Grain Newsletter
Hey there May!
May is finally here and I'm loving the green everywhere I look. This month's recipe is a real adaptable one for the seasons, and a lower cost alternative then traditional ribs. In the winter we serve it with loaded potatoes (green onions, sour cream and a sprinkling of cheese) and saffron rice. In the summer, its great with steamed veggies and a side of coleslaw. The roast itself is super easy. I originally made this with country style bone in pork ribs, but found the bone in pork roast is cheaper and the same cut, just not in 'rib' cuts. You can use boneless, but it's about twice the price. Its best made the day before so that you can get the most amount of fat out of the BBQ sauce, and I find that it's also easier to trim the fat off before chopping the meat up into portions.
BBQ Pork "Ribs"
Makes 4 servings.
1 ½ lb. Pork roast
6 oz. tomato paste
¼ cup vinegar
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. worchestire sauce
½ tsp. chipotle powder *
½ tsp. ancho powder *
* If you don't have these, regular chili powder will be fine. *
- Rinse the roast and put into the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Mix all the rest of the ingredients into a smooth sauce and pour over the roast.
- Cover and turn the slow cooker on low for 5-6 hours.
- Cool and remove meat. Pour liquid into container and cool. Refrigerate both.
- The next day, remove sauce and pull off fat that has risen to surface.
- Strain remaining sauce through fine mesh strainer into a small saucepan. You will need to stir to get it all to go through and this will probably take 2-3 batches through the strainer. Your patience is rewarded with getting more fat out of the sauce (and making it super smooth).
- Bring the sauce to a boil and turn down to a simmer for about 15 minutes to reduce.
- Use on the pork roast when reheating.
Reduced Sodium
I often see all sorts of articles and suggestions for reducing sodium, but rarely see anyone suggest kosher flake salt. I'm sure it's out there somewhere, but I haven't seen it in any articles recently - so I thought I'd put my 2 cents in on the subject. Regular salt contains 600 mg of sodium per ¼ teaspoon, where kosher flake salt contains only 280 mg for the same ¼ teaspoon amount. How easy is that for a quick sodium reducing substitute! We mix kosher flake salt with kelp to get the iodine that you would get from iodized salt, which even further reduces the sodium. Plus you get the added health benefits from kelp. Read more on the site under http://www.essentialgrain.com/Kelp.htm.
I'm finally here! This is something that I should have done a long time ago, but now I've finally got an Essential Grain page. I was going to add a comments section to the site, but with Facebook it'll be easier to make comments and ask questions, so come on over and 'like' me sometime soon. I'll be posting pictures of recipes and other fun stuff. I'm on Facebook under Essential Grain, or you can get an easy link on the front page of my web site.
See you there!
Until next month, enjoy the sun!
Essential Grain Newsletter
Hello April!
This recipe came up this month because of a conversation I was having with
someone about dairy free puddings. Coconut milk makes great chocolate
pudding and tastes even better with a little toasted coconut sprinkled on
top. This creamy treat is great year round, but especially nice in those
warm summer months.
Chocolate Coconut Pudding
Makes 4 servings at 285 calories per serving***.
3 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/3 cup Rapadura (or regular sugar)
Dash of salt
3 tbsp. water
1 can (14 oz.) Coconut milk (not lite)
2 tbsp arrowroot powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Toasted coconut for topping. (optional)
- Mix cocoa powder, Rapadura and salt in sauce pan with whisk.
- Mix a small amount of coconut milk with arrowroot until smooth, then mix
in rest of coconut milk and set aside.
- Mix in water, turn burner onto medium heat and cook while wisking for 2
minutes. It will look like it is starting to burn.
- Pour coconut mix into saucepan and whisk and cook until thick. This won't
take long.
- Take off heat and mix in vanilla.
- Chill in individual serving dishes or one big bowl for scooping out
portions.
- Serve with toasted coconut sprinkled on top.
*** The thing that you have to remember about coconut products like coconut
milk and coconut oil is that they don't translate into the same fat/calorie
ratio as other fats. Coconut is a medium chain fat. This means that your
body doesn't process it the same as other fats. Coconut oil fat is used for
energy and doesn't get stored by the body the way long chain fats are. So
feel good about eating coconut! Your body (and waist line) will thank you
for it, not to mention your taste buds.***
Seasonal Idea
We always try to remember to go to nature preserves or botanical garden
parks at this time of the year. Even though it may be a bit muddy (depending
on where you live) its well worth it for the early summer show. With all the
trees and bushes that bloom early with their little flowers that only last a
few weeks, you've got a small window to see and smell the most amazing
natural fragrances. It's honestly like a medieval fantasy when the wind
blows and the little petals shower around you. Look up a local place and
plan a walk sometime soon.
See you next month!
Essential Grain Newsletter
Welcome March!
This month’s recipe is a side dish that has become a favorite snack. It
pairs as easily on a plate along with a tasty meat entrée as it does by
itself as a late night munchie. I know what you may be thinking, quinoa…. a
snack? But how can you turn down wholesome gluten free grains and lots of
veggies when you’ve got a craving needing to be satisfied – and with this
one you won’t feel guilty, only healthy. I’ve also included my two cents on
a company that’s truly fun to order from, and an essential oil blend that I
think reflects the season nicely.
Enjoy!
Quinoa and Veggie ‘Pilaf’
Makes 8 servings at 102 calories each.
1 tbsp butter
½ medium onion, diced
1 cup quinoa (any color) rinsed
½ bag of frozen California blend vegetables (carrots, broccoli, cauliflower)
2 cups low sodium vegetable broth
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
- Sauté onion and butter until fragrant and golden.
- Rinse quinoa and add to pan along with broth and veggies. (add saffron now
if using)
- Stir well and cover, bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for 15-20
minutes.
- Check often for liquid to be absorbed, that’s when it’s done.
- Let sit covered 5 minutes, then spoon out for eating now or later.
- Lovely with a sprinkle of kosher salt/kelp blend or a little grated cheese
for fun.
Zappos.com
With the warming weather of spring, thoughts of summer are right around the
corner; which got me thinking about shoes. Gotta get those sandals early
before they’re all out of my size! That’s where Zappos comes in. If you
haven’t ordered from them before then it’s as easy, fun and as painless as
ordering online can be. Free shipping both ways, yes, both ways. No
risk and shoes straight to your door in usually less than two days. What’s
not to love about that?
www.zappos.com
Seasonal Blend
With day light savings back on the books I’m truly enjoying longer days and
more sunlight. This blend makes me think of easing back into the relaxing
and soothing time of a nice long dusk. It almost makes you a bit sleepy, but
not to much. Comforting and warm.
Dusk Blend:
3 drops Sandalwood EO
1 drops Geranium EO
2 drops Cypress EO
Blend and use a few drops in diffuser.
Until next month…
Essential Grain Newsletter
Hello February!
W
Seasoned Pretzels
Makes several servings - depending on your willpower.
2 tbsp olive
1 tsp lemon juice (don't skip this, they won't turn out otherwise)
2 tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dill weed
dash of ground pepper
1 package pretzels (I love using Newman's Spelt.)
- Mix all of the sauce ingredients together until combined.
- Place the pretzels in a 13x9 glass baking dish.
- Pour the sauce over and toss to coat evenly.
- Bake in a 350 oven for 6 minutes, stir, and bake an additional 6 minutes.
- Take out of oven and stir to loosen pretzels, cool and package in air
tight containers.
- Try not to eat them all at once.
Extra Comforting Light
Candle light, salt lamps and generally anything glowing helps you to feel
warmer and comforted. If you find yourself without a fireplace or just want
something simpler then these choices are great alternatives.
Candles:
If you've looked around on my site, you may have noticed my recommendation
for Way Out Wax's candles - the best aromatherapy and long burning candles
I've yet to find. If you use the coupon code 'catalog' you'll get 10% off
your order. I love the value of their votives. You can get several scents to
burn alone or together, and votive holders are an easy seasonal change.
Salt Lamps:
If you haven't seen or heard of these you may not know what you're missing!
Several health claims are made about the negative ions they produce, and
I've seen long discussions on the web about how hot they need to be
effective, etc. etc. I just love them for their warm glow. If I get extra
air cleaning effects then it's just another bonus. I put them on timers so
they come on around dusk. Wonderful for coming home to, especially when
arriving after dark and they're already on and welcoming you home. You can
find these on line and in some natural stores.
LED Candles:
Speaking of timers, battery operated candles are a nice addition. This is
especially true for those with wandering pets and children and those looking
for a soot free alternative. I looked around quite a bit and found that a
line carried through QVC has the best track record, timers and battery
length. I like to put these into glass vases, in the bathroom on ledges and
up high where you aren't going to be climbing up to light them everyday.
Turn them on with the timer and they stay lit for 5 hours and automatically
turn off. They'll then turn on again the next day at the same time. Couldn't
be simpler.
This link isn't to the exact set I bought (no longer carried), but similar:
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.H05483.desc.Candle-Impressions-S6-3-Flameless-Flickering-Votive-Candles
Next month we are closer to Spring, and I'll be writing about the wonderful
warm weather (hopefully) that is right around the corner
Essential Grain Newsletter
Happy January!
Also found a new cereal that we simply love, gluten free and super tasty!
Southwestern Beef Stew
Makes four servings that goes nicely with a hot roll.
1/2 lb. sirloin tip or round tip beef steak cut into 1" cubes
1/2 tbsp olive or coconut oil
1 cup vegetable or beef broth
1/4 cup water
1 large potato cut into small cubes
2 carrots sliced
1/2 of medium onion diced
1/2 red bell pepper diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced or 1/2 tsp pepper flakes
2 garlic cloves minced
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp dulce flakes (or 1/2 tsp salt)
1 cup diced or crushed tomato's
2 tbsp brown rice flour
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp minced fresh cilantro
- In Dutch oven, brown meat in oil.
- Add all the rest of the ingredients, in order, up through the tomatoes.
- Bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and cook covered for 1/2 hour. You will want to check and stir about half way through.
- Add the tomato and cook another 1/2 hour.
- Mix the flour and water and add to pot, stirring until thick, about one minute.
- Take off heat and stir in cilantro.
- Serve hot!
Natures Path Crunchy Maple Sunrise Cereal
Now this is the tasty cereal that I’ve been looking for to replace the discontinued Penguin Puffs from Envirokidz. This one is gluten free and loaded with tasty, nutritious grain alternatives like quinoa and amaranth. Sweet but not to much with great crunch and no soggy milk issues. I’ve not found it everywhere as its so new, so if you don’t see it ask for it! I’m just waiting for Amazon.com to start selling it in bulk so I can stock up.
http://www.naturespath.com/products/vegetarian/crunchy-maple-sunrise
Short and sweet so close to the end of the month. In February we’ll start thinking about spring! Until then, enjoy that extra ½ hour of light we’re getting back at the end of the day again.
Essential Grain Newsletter
December Greetings!
Hope you’re all stuffed with Turkey, and ready for cookies! I’ll admit that this month’s recipe is a bit on the basic side, but the addition of cardamom spice is a nice change of pace to the regular sugar cookie recipe. It adds that extra warmth you want at this time of the season and adds a comforting touch to an old classic. Plus, using the Pamela’s mix makes them easier and gluten free! If you haven’t tried this brand yet then this is a good time to give them a try. Try making pancakes and muffins with this mix as well. Make a full batch and freeze half for easy, quick cookies later. Just thaw in the fridge, slice and bake as usual.
I’ve also added a new coupon section to the web site with more links to organic and natural retailers. From time to time I also get offers for printable coupons for stores that you may enjoy. Check it out! Just look for the COUPON tab at www.essentialgrain.com.
Gluten Free Sugar Cookie
Makes two batch’s of cookies, 40 cookies per batch at
around 35 calories per cookie.
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2/3 cup Rapadura
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 ¾ cup Pamela’s GF Baking Mix
1 tsp ground cardamom
- Cream butter and Rapadura.
- Beat in egg and vanilla.
- Stir in baking mix and cardamom.
- Separate into 2 sections, each rolled into a log around 2” x 7”, wrap in plastic.
- Freeze one portion and refrigerate the other for at least 30 minutes.
- Cut into cookies 3/8 – 1/4” thick. (you can also roll these out and cut shapes)
- Place on sheet with some space in between, they will spread some when baking. I fit 20 per sheet of Silpat.
- Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until edges are slightly browned. I like to rotate the tray half way through for even baking.
- Cool and try not to eat all at once!
Women for Women
We recently got a letter from our new sister in Rwanda and I wanted to share this with all of you. If you’re not familiar with WFW, it’s a unique way to connect with an individual to make a positive change in their life. All of the details are on their site, but the cliff notes are that for $27 dollars a month, donated once per month over the course of a year, makes an astonishing difference for that person and their family and community as well. They learn, network with other women and see real change not only while in the program, but for the rest of their lives after. In some areas of the world when a women graduates after the year program, local officials attend the events because of how important they are to everyone in the community. Read more at http://www.womenforwomen.org/
Seasonal Essential Oil Blends
The first recipe is for that wonderful warm, spicy feel with a citrus tone. Great for setting a festive mood with guests. The second recipe is really easy but super potent! It’s great for getting things done when you need a pick me up but not the overpowering kind. Both are for diffuser use only. Enjoy!
Winter Spice:
4 drop Red Mandarin EO
1 drop Cinnamon bark EO
1 drop Geranium EO
Energizing:
1 drop Holy Basil
1 drop Bergamot Mint
Essential Grain
Newsletter
Welcome Autumn!
It's hard to believe that we're already in November! I have been eagerly looking forward to all of the cookies, pies and different tastes of this time of year. The sweet and spicy, warm you to your toes and make you feel good kind of food. And since we're getting into the turkey time of year, it seemed appropriate to share a recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake. A different take on an old favorite - if you haven't tried it already.
We're also getting into the time of year when people think about giving more. I'm all for giving year round and the places listed below make it even easier by making it free! Check them both out and help spread the love.
Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars
20 bars at around 190 calories! (less if you skip the crust)
3 8oz. packages of neufchâtel cream cheese
3/4 cup Rapadura
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin-solid pack
2 tbsp flour (brown rice or other gluten free flour)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
* 1 tbsp coconut oil
* Crust: (optional)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup Rapadura or date sugar
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
Whipped Cream or Coconut Milk *
- If making crust, crush crackers and mix with Rapadura or date sugar. Melt butter or oil, mix well and press into the bottom of a 13x9 pan.
- Mix the 3 packages of neufchâtel cream cheese and Rapadura with hand mixer.
- Add the pumpkin, flour, spice and vanilla and mix until blended.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix just until combined.
- Pour over oiled pan or with crust.
- Bake at 325° for 35 minutes or until the center is almost set.
- Cool for an hour, then refrigerate several hours or overnight.
- Cut into 20 bars.
- Serve with whipped cream, or open a can of coconut milk and pour into a separate container, stir well and refrigerate. It will become thick and creamy and makes an excellent dairy free topping!
* We actually go for crustless pies here and that is why the 1 tbsp of coconut oil is listed. If you want to try it this way, melt the 1 tbsp of coconut oil and coat a 13x9 pan, fill with prepared filling and bake as usual. If you want the crust, then the optional recipe for that is included.*
Care2
Care2 has a way to help get money to all kinds of worthy organizations making a difference. All this takes is about a minute of your time a day. Just click on the links to donate for free. The more people clicking, the more gets donated to over a dozen categories. Start Clicking!
http://www.care2.com/click-to-donate/
www.Freekibble.com & www.Freekibblecat.com
If you've checked out the pet section on Essential Grain you'll know that we are big advocates of Spots Stew (aka HALO). That's why I was happy to see that HALO is partnering with these sites to help provide a good meal to shelter animals. Halo is donating one meal to homeless pets for every person who follows Freekibble on Twitter (up to 100,000 followers). Plus, they're donating another meal for every person who follows Halo Pets on Twitter (up to another 100,000 followers). You can also play the kibble trivia on either website to help earn more kibble for the animals.