Showing posts with label Essential Oils. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Essential Oils. Show all posts

10/28/13

Maple Pecan Pancakes

Pancakes are comfort food for me, and ever since going gluten free, I've had a difficult time finding a pancake to be excited about. Pecans are something to be excited about though and it was the pecans that inspired me to come up with this recipe. I've been stewing over it in my mind for a while now and finally decided it was time to try it out.
Maple Pecan Pancakes:
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C oat flour
1/2 C brown rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp soda
1.2 tsp salt
3/4 C plain Greek yogurt
1 large egg
2 TB maple syrup
1 TB water
1/2 tsp maple flavor

Pulse the chopped pecans in a food processor until they take on a very course meal-like consistency, but before they become a paste. In a large bowl, mix the pecan meal with the oat and rice flours, baking powder, soda, and salt.

In a smaller bowl whip together the yogurt, egg, and syrup. add to the dry ingredients and blend well. Finally, stir the water and maple flavor into the batter. Cook using a frying pan, or griddle the way you normally cook pancakes. I found that cooking on a lower temperature than I was used to, really helped. Does anyone else have problems making pancakes? The first few pancakes I make always turn out badly and it's been this way my whole life! It doesn't matter what kind of pancakes either. If anyone knows a good tip, I'd love to hear it!

Serve these pancakes hot with more maple syrup on top. I also ate some with Wild Orange Honey Butter. It was amazingly scrumptious!
These pancakes are really good! They hold together well and have a nice fluffy texture. The flavor of the pecans is pronounced, and the maple compliments it perfectly! I ate a few warm, right out of the griddle and they were great that way too. I think these might hold up well to freezing and I plan to make some more to try that way. I like having quick snack that I can pop into the toaster and I think the texture of these pancakes will work for that. They aren't too crumbly like some gluten free pancakes are. Hooray for great pancakes!

This post was featured here:
Suburbsmamathehappierhomemaker.com
Gluten Freely Frugal

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9/25/13

Roasted Jalapeño Hummus

My garden has given me a bounteous crop of spicy jalapeño peppers. Some I've used green and others I've let fully ripen into beautiful red beauties. I think I prefer my jalapeños fully ripened. They seem to have a better flavor - a little sweeter. Also, I love how pretty they are. I decided they would go well in a spicy hummus.
Hummus is a favorite in my house and I love making it because it so easy, delicious and healthy! This recipe takes a little more time if you count the time it takes to roast the jalapeños, but the time is well worth it, plus I don't think it's fair to count that time in because you can roast a bunch of peppers, keep them in the fridge, and use them in things all week if you'd like. That's what I do. Try adding them to salads, sauces, dips, sandwiches, nachos, tacos... there are many possibilities!

Before we get to the hummus recipe, here's a quick rundown on how to roast jalapeños in the oven. It's very easy and they're so delicious. Roasting them mellows out their spiciness and gives them a delicious flavor.
First, cut the peppers in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. If you want them super spicy, leave the seeds in, but be warned they are very powerful.
Place the peppers cut side down onto a baking sheet. Set oven to broil and place peppers on the top rack in the oven. Cook for approximately 7 minutes, but keep an eye on them. The skin will start to bubble and blacken, which is what you want. Don't over do it though or you'll burn the inner flesh of the pepper. Once the peppers are lightly darkened on the tops and bubbly, but not too burnt then you're done! Some recipes tell you to remove and discard the skins, but don't waste your time with this. When roasting other types of peppers, this might be something you want to do, but the skins of the jalapeños are nice and thin. It's also a little tedious trying to peal them and I have no patience for things like that. I use them with the skins on and no one seems to care. You can store your jalapeños in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.

Now that you've got some roasted peppers, it's time to grab your food processor and make some really amazing hummus!
Roasted Jalapeño Hummus:

2 cups cooked garbanzo beans
2 cloves of garlic
1 TB lemon juice
3 TB olive oil
2-6 slices roasted jalapeños (depending on how spicy you want it)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin powder
2 drops pure lime essential oil
1 small drop pure cilantro essential oil

In your food processor, blend together everything except the jalapeños. Add and blend the peppers one at a time, tasting in between until you achieve the right amount of flavor and spice to your personal liking. Once everything is blended, you're done. I serve this with a bowl of tortilla chips and a bowl of salsa. It is always devoured. Yum! Delicious! I hope you enjoy it!


Shared at these blogs:
Gluten Free Fridays at Vegetarian Mama
BFF Open House at The Answer is Chocolate 
Sunday Linky at Suburbs Mama
Silver Pennies Sunday at Finding Silver Pennies
Independence Days Challenge at Simply Living Simply
Super Sunday Link Party at Who Needs A Cape?
Creative Home & Garden Hop at Little Homestead On The Hill
Clever Chicks Blog Hop at the Chicken Chick 
Manic Monday at Serendipity & Spice
Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do
Monday Funday at Lines Across
Mostly Homemade Mondays at Homegrown & Healthy
What'd You Do This Weekend at Tumbleweed Contessa
Tuesdays with a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventures
The Backyard Farming Connection
Rock N Share at The Shady Porch
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From My Front Porch To Yours 
Lovely Ladies Link Up at Life With The Crust Cut Off 
Feature Friday at Blissful and Domestic 
The HomeAcre Hop at Black Fox Homestead 
From The Farm Blog Hop at Sunny Simple Life
Farmgirl Friday at Deborah Jean's Dandelion House
Down Home Blog Hop at Tilly's Nest
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9/16/13

Roasted Tomato Marinara & Cheesy Quinoa Bites

Phew! What a crazy week it's been! So much was going on and then to make it more crazy, my computer , which has been on it's last leg for a while, finally bit the dust. It was time to retire the old model and now I'm back with a sleek new machine ready for sharing more of the things that I've been up to. I hope you all had a wonderful week!

This post is specifically for a sister of mine who posed a question on Facebook the other day, "If you had lots of ripe tomatoes, what would you make?" I was one of several people who answered with ideas and when I mentioned "cheesy quinoa bites", I had a few requests for the recipe. So, here it is! Plus, I threw in one of my favorite ways to use lots of ripe tomatoes as well: roasted tomato marinara, which just happens to go extremely well with the quinoa bites. I love that most of the ingredients to these came right out of my garden! Even the egg is from our ducks! I love having a garden!
I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family has! We've eaten this twice in the past 4 days!
Roasted Tomato Marinara:
This recipe takes a little time, but is simple and easily adaptable. I'm sorry to say that this is one of those annoying recipes without clear measurements. The fact is, I have never stopped to measure how many tomatoes I use and it varies a lot since I'm using a variety of shapes and sizes right out of my garden. I just chop enough to fill my glass casserole dish. I hope that doesn't throw anyone off. The secret ingredient to this delicious sauce is a tiny bit of 100% pure oregano essential oil. Wow! After making it using the oil, I will never go back! The flavor is superb and it only uses a very small amount of the oil. A little goes a long way, so don't over do it.
Add to a 2 QT glass casserole dish:
1/2 medium onion chopped (more if you really like onions!)
Ripe tomatoes, chopped (Enough to evenly fill the dish)
Drizzle with olive oil
Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper

Stir to evenly distribute the olive oil. Roast, uncovered at 350F for approx. 45 minutes or until everything is bubbly and a few tomato skins are beginning to darken. Drain away the liquid. The more liquid you drain, the thicker your sauce will be. Freeze the left over liquid to use in other recipes later if you'd like. That's what I did! Let tomatoes and onions cool.

In a food processor blend well:
tomato and onion mixture
A handful of fresh basil
1 or 2 drops of  pure oregano essential oil (It's very strong, so start with one!)
Enjoy immediately, or store short term in the fridge, or long term in the freezer. I love freezing a batch in ice cube trays (then transferring to a big freezer bag). It's easier to use that way and very handy if you need just a little bit of sauce. I use this for a multitude of uses including: dipping sauce, pasta sauce, pizza sauce, etc.

Cheesy Quinoa Bites:
This recipe has actual measurements! It is so easy to make and I am regularly mixing it up with different add-ins. With the marinara sauce, I wanted something that would compliment, but not over power. These are perfect! I like to munch them plain as well. They make a tasty snack!

Heaping 1/2 C finely chopped sweet peppers. I used both red and green
1 sprig fresh basil chopped
1 egg
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C cooked and cooked quinoa

Mix everything together until well incorporated. Arrange spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. You can also put them into mini cupcake pans, but I prefer the cookie sheet method. Bake in the oven at 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until browned on the edges. Serve warm.

Linking up to these great blogs:
Super Sunday at Who Needs a Cape
Manic Monday at Serendipity & Spice
Monday Funday at Lines Across
Mostly Homemade Mondays at Homegrown & Healthy
What'd You Do This Weekend at The Tumbleweed Contessa
The Garden Party at An Oregon Cottage
Rock N Share at the Shady Porch
The Backyard Farming Connection
Tuesdays With a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventures
Allergy Free Wednesdays at Tessa The Domestic Diva
Gluten Free Wednesdays at Gluten Free Homemaker
Down Home Blog Hop at Tilly's Nest
Waste Not Want Not Wednesday at Poor And Gluten Free
Home & Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life
Treasure Hunt Thursday at From my Front Porch to Yours
HomeAcre Hop at Black Fox Homestead
Lovely Ladies Linky at Life With The Crust Cut Off
Farm Girl Friday at The Dandelion House
Gluten Free Fridays at Vegetarian Mama
Feature Friday at Blissful and Domestic
From the Farm Blog Hop at Sunny Simple Life
Simply Natural Saturdays at The Pistachio Project

Featured Here:
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4/1/13

Strawberry Lemon Shortcake in a Mug

 My little brother dropped by for an afternoon visit the other day. I wanted something quick and easy to make for him. He does not need to be gluten free, but I wanted his opinion on one of my latest creations. I knew he'd be honest if it was awful, but I also knew he was going to love it! He liked it so much, that he's been begging me for the recipe ever since.  So, my dear brother, this post is especially for you! Enjoy!
I found the inspiration for this recipe here, but I added a few modifications and I think it's even better! This is the perfect treat for two. It can be easily whipped up when you have an unexpected guest; it takes practically no time at all to make! Enjoy it with a friend over a cup of tea or while playing your favorite game. lemon essential oil kicks the flavor up a notch. Try it; you won't be disappointed!
Making the Shortcake:
3/4 cup almond flour
2 TBL sugar
1 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt
2 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2-3 drops pure lemon essential oil

In a medium bowl, whisk almond flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add lemon juice, butter, egg, and lemon essential oil. Stir until well combined. Divide mixture between two microwave-safe mugs and microwave separately for 1 minute & 30 seconds (cooking time may vary with microwave types). Remove from microwave, gently remove cake from mug if desired (you can also eat it right out of the mug!). Top with strawberry sauce and whipped cream. If you don't have or don't want to use a microwave, you might try this in a toaster oven. Feel free to modify it to your personal preferences.

Making the Strawberry Sauce:
4-5 large strawberries chopped (and thawed if using frozen berries)
Sprinkling of sugar (use more or less depending on how sweet you want it)
1 small drop pure lemon essential oil.
Mix together until sugar is dissolved completely. Serve over shortcake.

 Linked up with these awesome blogs here:
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12/31/12

Green Hummus

I love making hummus! It is such an easy, tasty, and healthy snack. I love to eat it with veggies, tortilla chips, or as a spread in wraps. This version is packed with healthy nutrients from spinach. Plus, it's also a very lovely green color. Some people mistake it for guacamole at first glance, although it doesn't taste like it at all.
I have to be honest, I am not a big fan of spinach. I know it's healthy, so I force myself to eat a spinach salad now and then, but I'm not a fan of the flavor and I can still taste it in a salad, even if smothered in salad dressing. This hummus, however tastes nothing like spinach! It's awesome! The lemon oil is really the key, I think. It has such a delicious  fresh lemon flavor! This is my new favorite way to eat spinach! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Herbed Green Hummus (Original recipe can be found here)
1 can (or approximately 2 cups cooked) garbanzo beans
2 handfuls of organic baby spinch
1 TB sesame oil
1TB tahini paste
1 TB olive oil
4 drops thyme essential oil
4 drops  lemon essential oil
Salt and Pepper to taste
water to achieve desired consistency

 Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Serve chilled with your choice of crackers chips, veggies, etc. I find that the flavors deepen after it's had some time to set, so make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a few hours and it will taste even better!
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12/10/12

Lavender Oatmeal Facial Scrub

Everyone knows that oatmeal is a heart-healthy food, but did you know it's good for your skin too? Colloidal oatmeal, or fine, powdered oats moisturizes, helps relieve itching, and soothes irritated skin. When my poor husband got a severe case of poison oak, the doctor had him soak in oatmeal baths to help relieve the painful rash. Oatmeal also has excellent exfoliation properties. It gently helps scrape away dead and dry skin cells from your body. Dead skin cells increase the appearance of fine lines, so exfoliating regularly will help your skin stay healthier and help you look younger.
This easy to make facial scrub also utilizes the many benefits of lavender. Lavender is well known for it's relaxing properties, but it also has many other desirable characteristics. It has long been used for a multitude of reasons. It's calming aroma is a perfect way to unwind at the end of a long day.

Lavender Oatmeal Scrub:
1/2 Cup Oatmeal 
Using a food processor, pulse until a fine-ground texture is achieved.
Stir in 7-10 drops of therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil
Package this in a pretty jar for an inexpensive and thoughtful gift, or enjoy using it yourself!

To use, take about a tablespoon full of the mix and place it in the palm of your hand. Add enough water to create a paste. Apply the paste to your skin in a gentle circular motion, paying particular attention to your T-zone (The area around your nose and your forehead). Use even pressure and avoid over-scrubbing. Allow the scrub to dry on your skin for a few minutes, then rinse well.

This scrub is also effective when used to exfoliate and soften the skin on the elbows, knees, and the bottoms of your feet. Enjoy!


Linked up Here: 
Black Fox Homestead
Thank You Black Fox Homestead!
Black Fox Homestead
Thank You Homegrown On The Hill!
Black Fox Homestead
Thank You Clearwater Farm Journal!
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